Residents in South Seattle are on alert as Seattle police detectives piece together clues in a string of fires deemed intentional arsons. The Arson/Bomb Squad of the Seattle Police Department, alongside the Seattle Fire Department (SFD), has been called to action after several structure fires in the area raised concerns about a possible serial arsonist at large.
Beginning with a fire last Saturday, the Seattle Fire Department was summoned at approximately 7:30 a.m. to a residence under construction on the 2000 block of 19th Avenue South. This incident alone racked up an estimated $20K in damage but, fortunately, resulted in no injuries. Early investigations quickly led to an unsettling conclusion: the fire was no accident, but rather a deliberate act. As reported by the Seattle Police Department, "SFD determined that this fire was an intentional act of arson."
This initial blaze set off a string of similar events, with detectives from the SPD now meticulously combing over evidence from three further structure fires that ignited between July 30 and July 31. The common denominator among these incidents seems to be their intentional nature, but the question remains as to whether they are the handiwork of one individual or several unrelated actors.
Amidst these troubled times, the people of South Seattle have been urged to remain vigilant. Police have not yet released information on potential suspect(s), nor have they definitively linked the fires to a single source. Community members are encouraged to report any suspicious activities they might notice and are assured that the SPD and SFD are working tirelessly to safeguard the neighborhood and to capture whoever is determined to disrupt its peace.
