LYNNWOOD – Fire and police officials are investigating a cluster of suspicious fires set in dumpsters behind businesses along 196th Street SW between 26th Avenue W. and Highway 99.
Six fires have been discovered in or near dumpsters since May 10 in the Scriber Lake area, Lynnwood Fire Inspector LeRoy McNulty said Tuesday.
The most recent fire was discovered Saturday behind Gart Sports and Good Guys in the 19800 block of 44th Avenue W. Firefighters contained the fire to the dumpster and surrounding debris before it caused any damage to the building.
Two fires were set May 10, and fires also were set June 12, 13 and 17. The fires have all been discovered between midnight and 3 a.m. No one has been injured in the fires, and there has been minimal damage to property.
McNulty wouldn’t say if the fires have been ruled arsons, but did say they didn’t start on their own.
It appears that whoever is setting the fires is using trash inside and around dumpsters to start them, he said. They are not believed to be connected to a string of six arsons in north Everett, he added.
“What concerns me is these are in the same area,” McNulty said. “They’re occurring more often and in places that are more visible.”
Fires occasionally ignite in dumpsters, he said. Firefighters responded to four dumpster fires between February and April, but those likely are not connected to the ones set in the past two months.
Fire officials will be handing out fliers to business owners along 196th Street SW today, recommending that they move dumpsters away from buildings, remove debris from around buildings, close lids on recycling and trash bins, and report suspicious activity to police.
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.
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