SEATTLE -- Firefighters are dealing with a fourth overnight arson in Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood.
The latest fire was discovered behind the Greenwood Quick Stop Grocery store in the 8100 block of Greenwood Avenue North at about 7:45 a.m.
"They were just opening up for business and she opened up the door, smoke was coming out. So, I went inside to see if something inside was on fire. (I) couldn't find anything so I thought maybe the house next door was on fire," said Bill Meserole, who was waiting to shop at the store. "(I) went around back and seen that somebody had pulled a wire mesh vent cover back and tried to light the business on fire."
Damage is estimated at about $500.
There were three other fires overnight in the neighborhood. They have also been declared arsons.
Fire Department spokeswoman Dana Vander Houwen says two fires were set about 11 p.m. Sunday between two buildings on N. 78th Street at Greenwood Avenue N.
KING5 News reports the fires were set in two places in a breezeway between an apartment building and a business called Moon Photo.
Officials said the fires were intentionally set and caused about $1,000 damage before they were put out.
The third fire was reported by an arson patrol in the area that smelled smoke about 4 a.m. Monday. It was set in the back of a restaurant called "Olive You" in the 8500 block of Greenwood Avenue N. It caused about $20,000 damage to the back wall of the restaurant.
There were no reported injuries in any of the fires.
Vander Houwen says there have been five fires in the neighborhood in two weeks and other fires were reported there in June and August.
The worst was a fire on Oct. 23 that destroyed four restaurants and cause $2 million damage.
The fires have put the entire neighborhood on edge.
"I really hope it stops before it gets any closer than it already has to where people live. I guess we have been lucky, in a twisted way, that it's been businesses that have been targeted. But either way, you know, it's still the livelihood of people one way or the other, " said Glen Rice, a resident in the neighborhood. "So, I just really hope this is over like today."
"These aren't just buildings. These are businesses with people that own them, that we know and like." said Julie Tackett. "And when I'm seeing smoke and buildings burning I'm thinking about people not buildings."
"I've lived in this neighborhood my whole life and this is very scary. I just, I've never seen anything like this," says Jennie Danielson.
A community meeting will be held Tueday evening to discuss the recent string of fires. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Upper Crust Catering at 8420 Greenwood Ave. N.
There is a $10,000 reward in this case. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-55-ARSON.
davidadams said on November 9, 2009 at 6:38 AM
and all those that said I was crazy when I said the first one was arson and that that neighborhood is going to hell... the proof is in the proverbial pudding..
skippythedog said on November 9, 2009 at 10:40 AM
"I really hope it's over," says one resident....Guess what? It'll be over when you catch the perp and not before....The one good thing is that this guy/girl/muslim terrorist is on a mission....hell bent to wreck Greenwood.....shouldn't be too hard to catch....with the extremely low price of miniature cameras, there is really no excuse for each and every business up there to have several...
greenbird said on November 9, 2009 at 11:11 AM
Last Thur morning i got on a 5 bus at 11a around 125th and Greenwood headed towards downtown. This is several hours after the previous nights fire at Rosewood Guitars was set. Somewhere around 70th-80th this guy gets on and sits in the sidefacing seats in the middle of the reticulated portion of the bus. He is dressed in Khaki pants with a blue pullover, looks relatively normal except it is clear he has been out in the rain for awhile as he is soaked. I pay him no mind until hes caught my attention by looking in my direction and asking me to wake him up when we get to Westlake Center. It becomes obvious he is completely out of it and obviously either in a drug induced state, or is about to fall into a diabetic coma... I ask him if hes ok and he replies that he has been off his Meds for 3 days and when hes of that long, its hard getting back on them. I nod continuing to assess his situation and watch him basically pass out. He wakes up, passes out.... cont on next post
greenbird said on November 9, 2009 at 11:18 AM
..wakes up passes out. Then he does something that at the time i didnt really register as being anything weirder than his already strange behavior. He pulls out a lighter and is just kind of staring at it. Then he puts his fingers to his nose and is smelling them...Im thinking Ok, this guy is either coming down off a crack or meth binge and has ben up all night, or he is smelling the remnants of his last cigarette... Though i have no first hand experience, Im guessing meth or crack...even though he looks totally normal -clean cut etc. So now I start to look him over and observe the sheer bizarre-ness of what Im seeing. This is a thurs mid morning commuter/neighborhood bus, and this guy is totally out of place, plus he is going downtown...and is in no shape to do anything. His Khaki pants have a black, dirty (i think sooty now of course) ring around the pocket, which is consistent with my assertation that hes been in his close awhile, and is not as clean cut as...cont next post
greenbird said on November 9, 2009 at 11:30 AM
wakes up, passes out..... then he does something that I guess until now didnt strike me as being any more bizarre than what Ive witnessed already. He takes out a lighter and is kind of just staring at it. Then he puts the fingers of one hand up to his nose and begins smelling them... Im thinking at this point that this guy is coming down from smoking meth or crack or something equally as dubious, and has been up all night. Then he gathers stray newspapers around him and makes an attempt to look at them...he soon passes out again clutching them. By now my curiousity is peaked and I observe him more closely. He is clean cut, but his khaki pants have a dirty black (ill admit I think sooty upon restrospect) ring around the pocket that I can see since hes sitting profile to me. He looks like a younger Ray Liotta with a bit of a fuller face. Short dark hair that I would describe as clean cut. He has a 1 1/2 inch scar running down the right side of his face from the sideburn...cont below
greenbird said on November 9, 2009 at 11:36 AM
down to his jawline. Eyes like Ray Liottas (thats as close as I can remember) and either bluish green or green. Anyway, at one point the bus is nearing Westlake and this guy is completely passed out leaning over sideways in the seat almost on the floor. A woman taps him and he starts awake and says "where are we" She begins to answer him and I tell her hes getting off at the next stop..she is clearly going through the assessment phase just like I had prior. I ask him once again if hes ok and that we are nearing his stop and does he have all his stuff...he says yes, and yes. Sort of slurring, but not a drunken slur...(plus he didnt smell of alcohol) I kind of shake my head and leave the bus at 3rd and Pine and look back to see him just standing on the corner of 3rd and Pine completeky bewildered with the seat of his pants soaked. Later it dawns on me that this was just too weird in light of the recent arsons. Guy fits the profile, we picked him up a few blocks from...cont below
greenbird said on November 9, 2009 at 11:37 AM
down to his jawline. Eyes like Ray Liottas (thats as close as I can remember) and either bluish green or green. Anyway, at one point the bus is nearing Westlake and this guy is completely passed out leaning over sideways in the seat almost on the floor. A woman taps him and he starts awake and says "where are we" She begins to answer him and I tell her hes getting off at the next stop..she is clearly going through the assessment phase just like I had prior. I ask him once again if hes ok and that we are nearing his stop and does he have all his stuff...he says yes, and yes. Sort of slurring, but not a drunken slur...(plus he didnt smell of alcohol) I kind of shake my head and leave the bus at 3rd and Pine and look back to see him just standing on the corner of 3rd and Pine completeky bewildered with the seat of his pants soaked. Later it dawns on me that this was just too weird in light of the recent arsons. Guy fits the profile, we picked him up a few blocks from...cont below
greenbird said on November 9, 2009 at 11:42 AM
sorry for the repost...i thought it didnt take...had to try and re-summarize ...Rosewood guitar. he was fixated on the lighter, he had the blackened pockets. I dont know maybe its nothing, but it sure seems weird. Ill call the hotline and reiterate the story...who knows, maybe somebody else saw the same thing, or maybe its not related at all. Thought Id post my thoughts.
kryptin said on November 10, 2009 at 2:56 AM
greenbird you perfectly described a friend of mine who I've known since my childhood.. I live on 74th near where you said he was picked up by the bus and he stays at my house until odd hours and walks home. You pegged him right with the meth and he's also bipolar which the meth makes worse.. With all his faults though he is not violent and would not start these fires. This guy can barely do anything when he gets into the condition you described. He got that scar on his neck by acting crazy outside another childhood friends parents place a few weeks ago and was viciously attacked by the father of our friend with a knife. If it's the night I'm thinking of I know he was acting quite bad and was drunk and probably decided to head downtown in the morning to find the street kids that hang out down there. This guy can't even light my barbecue let alone start a fire that could destroy a building. He's more interested in the aliens that talk to him through device implanted in his skull
greenbird said on November 10, 2009 at 4:26 PM
Very interesting Kryptin, I wonder if it was the same guy....although the guy I saw had a scar on his face not his neck... in any case, it was a sad sight. I hope he is ok. thanks for potentially clearing up this conundrum for me.