The Seattle Fire Department says four fires around Greenwood in the last two months — three of them in just the last two days — are the work of one or more arsonists.
The most serious of the fires broke out yesterday at 108 NW 84th St. A 50-year-old man suffered burn injuries and was taken to Harborview Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries. Damage to the home totaled $170,000. The Red Cross is assisting the family, and we’ve been told neighbors are setting up a fund to help the family. We’ll have more information on that soon. Here’s more information and here’s some video from the scene.
Also yesterday, investigators say an arson fire was set at 1111 N. 98th St. at 3:21 a.m. Two occupants of an apartment above the office were able to exit the building safely. Firefighters arrived to find a small fire in the office area on the first floor. Damage to the business totaled $15,000.
On Wednesday, a fire at a house at 7708 Greenwood Ave. N., just behind the building housing Wish and Moon Photo, is also classified as arson. That fire was only on the outside and damage was limited to $100. No one was inside at the time.
And on June 19th, an arsonist started a fire at 8733 Greenwood Ave. N. in the basement of OK Corral BBQ, which closed several months ago, so the building is vacant. Damage was estimated at $500.
Seattle Police is investigating, and they have no suspects. Residents are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the Arson Alarm Hotline number at 1-800-55-ARSON.
Investigators have not determined if the fires are connected. Firefighters will be out in our neighborhood today distributing Arson Watch flyers with tips on how you can protect your home or business. Here’s a summary:
Outside:
- Lock doors and windows of your home and garage.
- Clear carport areas of anything that could fuel a fire.
- Clean up wastepaper, long grass, weeds, litter, or anything that can burn from around buildings.
- Locate dumpsters, recycling bins and yard waste containers at least five feet away from combustible walls and openings of roof eave lines.
- Do not allow waste, recycle or yard waste containers to become overfilled.
- Trim shrubbery away from doors and windows to improve visibility.
- Leave indoor and outdoor lighting on during hours of darkness. Consider installing devices that automatically turn on outdoor lights when they sense darkness or movement outside the home.
Inside:
- Test your smoke alarms once a month to make sure they will work in a fire.
- Plan and practice a home fire drill. Be sure to have a family meeting place.
- Obtain an escape ladder for bedrooms located on the second floor. Make sure windows and screens can be opened easily from the inside if needed for escape.
