Silver Lake fire ruled as arson

Published 10:44 pm Thursday, June 25, 2009

EVERETT — Investigators believe an intentionally-set fire caused more than $110,000 damage to a vacant house east of Silver Lake.

Neighbors reported the blaze in a split-level house early Thursday in the 11000 block of 34th Drive SE, Snohomish County Fire District 1 spokeswoman Leslie Hynes said.

When crews arrived, flames already had eaten through the back of the house and were dancing through the roof.

Half the roof collapsed early on in the fire, forcing crews to attack the flames from outside. It took firefighters about 40 minutes to put the blaze down.

The house has been vacant since the homeowner died earlier this year, Hynes said. There were still some belongings in the house, and a relative stayed there periodically. A firefighter rescued one cat and another escaped on its own.

An investigator from the Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office determined the blaze was arson.

A $10,000 reward has been offered for anyone providing information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever was responsible for setting the fire. Anyone with information is asked to call the fire marshal’s office at 425-388-3557.