ARLINGTON — An arrest has been made in the Tuesday night fire that destroyed a home under construction in Arlington.
An Arlington boy, 16, was booked Wednesday night into Denney Juvenile Justice Center in Everett for investigation of first-degree arson, Arlington Police Department spokeswoman Kristin Banfield said.
He made an initial court appearance Thursday.
The teen also is under investigation for two counts of attempted arson involving earlier fires in the same development.
Police credited volunteers and the media for spreading the word about the case.
Five volunteers on Wednesday afternoon canvassed neighborhoods and went door to door with fliers that described the circumstances of the fire, Banfield said.
“They were very active yesterday, and that’s what led to the tip,” Banfield said Thursday.
Several people came forward with information, including one person who said he was with the suspect when he used a cigarette lighter to start the fire, according to court papers.
The boy later admitted setting the fire, the court papers said.
The fire was reported around 10 p.m. Tuesday in the 17900 block of 82nd Drive NE.
The home was well in flames by the time fire crews arrived.
The estimated loss from the fire is $65,000.
The house is in the Magnolia Meadows neighborhood where developer Encore Homes is building 30 houses. The homes average about 2,500 square feet of living area.
The development is north of 172nd Street and west of Highway 9.
Firefighters from rural Arlington, Silvana and the Marysville Fire District also responded to the blaze.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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