Ferndale police arrest juvenile as part of investigation of Star Park arson in December

Authorities have made at least one arrest related to a December fire at Ferndale’s Star Park that has been determined to be an act of arson.

After seeking a search warrant, Ferndale police investigators were able to collect digital evidence of devices being in the area at the time of the fire, with help from the Bellingham Police Department.

On one device that was determined to be in the area, detectives discovered a photo of a trash can on fire and a video of multiple people near the fire. The scene in the video matches the site of the fire.

The video also shows the people adding toilet paper to the fire while saying, “Hurry, hurry. It’s about to go out,” according to the release.

Investigators arrested an unknown number of juvenile suspects, one of whom was booked into juvenile detention May 21.

Officers responded to a report of a fire around 2 a.m. Dec. 27 at the Star Park picnic shelter in the 5400 block of Ferndale Road.

Members of the Ferndale Police Department and the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office arrived to find a trash can attached to the shelter engulfed in flames, according to a Ferndale police news release. They used a fire extinguisher to smother the fire and prevent further damage.

They also discovered a nearby bathroom facility was damaged.

At the time, officers conducted a K-9 and unmanned aerial vehicle search for possible suspects with assistance of the sheriff’s office and the Bellingham Police Department. No suspects were immediately located.

The cost of damage is estimated at $5,000.