LYNNWOOD — Four brush fires set in a wooded area near a neighborhood east of Lynnwood have firefighters and neighbors concerned.
Snohomish County Fire District 1 issued an arson alert Friday. A neighborhood meeting with firefighters and fire investigators is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday at Hilltop Fire Station 22, 20510 Damson Road.
The fires were set in a greenbelt around 12th Avenue W. and 199th Place SW between Aug. 4 and Aug. 16, officials said.
All of the fires appear to have been intentionally set and are being investigated as arsons by the Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office, District 1 spokeswoman Leslie Hynes said.
There are no suspects.
The fires have occurred at different times during the day and night and generally have been reported by people living in a cul de sac on a hill above.
They were reported at 5:50 p.m. on Aug. 4; 4:02 a.m. and 11:09 p.m. on Aug. 8 and at 5:29 p.m. on Aug. 16.
The closest home has been about 100 feet away, Hynes said.
The largest blaze scorched a 20-by-50 foot area of grass, brush and trees.
The area is on a steep slope, presenting a logistical challenge for firefighters. They typically have needed about 350 feet of hose to reach the fires. Neighbors on top of the hill also have tried to help with garden hoses.
“Once they get the fires under control they need an hour to make sure there aren’t any hot spots,” Hynes said.
All of the fires appeared to have been set the same way, Hynes said.
Anyone with knowledge about the fires or a potential suspect is asked to call 911 or county fire marshal investigator Mike Makela at 425-388-3557.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.
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