7 fires in 7 days: Fire officials seeing rise in arsons in Seattle

KIRO 7 News Staff
·1 min read
8

Seattle firefighters say they’re seeing a rise in intentionally set fires in the city after seven arsons in seven days.

The fires happened between July 13 and 20.

The first of the seven fires happened at a vacant building at Ninth Avenue and Madison Street on First Hill, where a 26-year-old man had to be carried out as the building burned.

The four-story apartment building is near hotels and Virginia Mason Hospital. Firefighters were concerned the flames would spread.

Seattle police and fire are investigating at least seven cases of arson.
Seattle police and fire are investigating at least seven cases of arson.

Most of the arsons have happened in dumpsters, garbage bins and the stairwells of occupied buildings in dense areas with homes and businesses nearby.

Others were set in vacant buildings, like a 2-alarm fire in the CID on July 20 that destroyed a warehouse.

The Seattle Fire Department is working with the Seattle Police Department’s arson and bomb squad.