Giant Seattle warehouse blaze ruled arson



SEATTLE -- Fire investigators now say the large fire last Saturday at a lumber yard near Seattle Pacific University was arson. The massive fire is still smoldering days later, while investigators try to find at who's responsible.

In a Tuesday afternoon news conference in front of the smoldering remains, Seattle's top fire official wasn't sharing many details of the on-going investigation.

"The magnitude of that fire was significant," Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said.

Scoggins said that in less than ten minutes, the fire exploded in size from a single shed to the largest blaze the city has seen in eight years. Three structures, two large sheds - all full of lumber - were engulfed in flames. It was a blaze so gigantic that two-thirds of the city's fire crews were at this huge fire.

"That's significant to note," Scoggins said, "because those (other) 911 calls don't stop just because you have a large event."

Scoggins says they do not think this fire is related to any others recently in the area. And his department is not connecting this fire to the transients who live and move about in that part of town.

"You know, when they put the puzzle together," says Scoggins, "every piece seems to make a difference, but we also ask the community every day if you see something, say something."

Seattle police are helping with the investigation. Their spokesperson tells Q13 News that there are no suspects or people of interest yet.