Decade of Fire: A Screening and Community Conversation

To commemorate passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the ongoing work to ensure equal access to housing for all, the City of Bellingham will present a film screening of Decade of Fire followed by a panel discussion. 

The film, Decade of Fire, is a powerful documentary set in the 1970s that shines a light on a time that a borough in the South Bronx experienced a plague of fires which destroyed much of its housing stock and displaced nearly half a million Black and Puerto Rican residents. The film explores the role of systemic neglect and discriminatory practices, including redlining, in shaping these conditions. 

Now, Bronx-born Vivian Vázquez Irizarry exposes the truth about the borough’s untold history and reveals how her community chose to resist, remain, and rebuild. 

Following the screening, attendees are invited to stay for a live discussion led by City of Bellingham staff with leaders from Bellingham and Whatcom County. The panel discussion will focus on the history and ongoing impacts of redlining, restrictive covenants, historic disinvestments, and other impacts on individuals and the housing system by connecting these themes from the movie with realities in our own region, providing insight and local context.