BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Family and friends are holding out hope a missing Bellingham restaurant owner somehow managed to survive a devastating fire. Nathaniel Breaux hasn’t been seen since flames broke out inside his restaurant in the Terminal Building.
The building is more than a century old. It sits in the heart of Bellingham’s Fairhaven District. At first, it just appeared that a historic building had been destroyed. Then we heard the worst news of all, that the owner of the two restaurants that were here is missing.
The mood outside the Terminal Building seemed to match the drear of this wet Monday, this 135-year-old building that went up in flames has touched just about every corner of the historic Fairhaven district.
“I’ve been in and out of there for the last seven years, so, it’s really sad,” said employee, Mariah Pietoski. “It’s a place I call a second home.”
Pietoski was supposed to open the Harris Avenue Cafe Sunday where she has worked off and on for years. But then she heard about the fire that broke out just before midnight Saturday and quickly raced through the structure, built before sprinklers were required.
She immediately tried getting in touch with the 39-year-old owner, Nathaniel Breaux, Nate, his friends call him. But she never heard back.
“He’s not just my boss, he’s one of my friends,” Pietoski said, looking over at the building. “So, just super worried and hoping he’s not in there.”
The fire that ravaged the Terminal Building destroyed an important part of Fairhaven history. Locals said it was once where ferry riders would buy tickets.
“This is also the end of the street car line that once went right up the middle where those bricks are,” said Bellingham historian, Candace Wellman.
Fire investigators did a limited search of the areas they could see inside the building on Monday.
Bellingham’s fire chief said they are working with the building’s owner and insurance company to bring in heavy equipment to search more thoroughly.
It will be an agonizing wait for those who know and love Nate Breaux.
“Just trying not to think the worst and hoping for the best,” said Pietoski. “Hoping we find him and he’s safe.”
So, many people are hoping for that. The fire chief tells me they haven’t even been able to figure out of the cause of this fire because they haven’t been able to properly search.
He said he hopes the heavy equipment will be here tomorrow but there are no guarantees.
So, sadly, the wait for answers continues.