Man hurt in fire on abandoned tracks now suspected of arson

Published 8:35 am Tuesday, May 19, 2026

EVERETT — A man who was hurt in a large fire that burned an abandoned railroad bridge in Snohomish last week is now accused of setting the fire.

The 51-year-old man, who was reportedly experiencing homelessness, was booked into jail on Friday accused of second-degree arson after an investigation by the Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office, court documents said.

Firefighters first responded on the morning of April 12 to reports of fire and smoke coming from railroad tracks near Airport Way in Snohomish. On scene, firefighters found an abandoned rail trestle and nearby trees engulfed in flames, according to Snohomish County Fire District No. 4.

Sheriff’s deputies responding to the fire rescued a man who was found crawling down the railroad tracks with burns to his hands and feet, court records said. He was taken to the hospital and treated for burns described as minor, fire officials told The Daily Herald.

After firefighters from four local departments put out the flames, investigators determined the fire had two separate starting points, one in the middle of the trestle and the other near the active Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway tracks beneath the bridge, according to court records.

Investigators then interviewed the man who deputies rescued from the area, court records said.

The man said he’d been camping near the trestle for a few weeks, according to court documents. He told investigators he was sleeping when he woke up to one or two loud explosions and found himself surrounded by a “wall of fire on all four sides,” court records said.

The man said he’d used his shirt to try to put out the fire before rolling down the hill toward the railroad tracks, records said. Investigators said the man did not have any burns, burnt hair or injuries that indicated he’d tried to fight the fire or made a dramatic escape, according to court records.

He also told investigators he’d smoked meth the night before to help him sleep and that he didn’t know how the fire started, court records said.

Investigators said the man’s injuries to his hands and feet were more consistent with someone bending over, using a handheld open flame to ignite combustibles, according to court records.

He’s now being held in the Snohomish County Jail on a $10,000 bond for the fire. According to court records, the man has a history of “prior reckless burning offenses.”

Ian Davis-Leonard: 425-339-3097; ian.davis-leonard@heraldnet.com