LYNNWOOD – Lynnwood fire and police officials are forming a fire-watch team following another string of suspicious fires.
Police, firefighters and resident volunteers will organize to be “extra eyes and ears in the area,” Lynnwood fire inspector Leroy McNulty said.
Seven vehicles were damaged Sunday after someone set four fires at a wrecking yard, McNulty said.
A neighbor reported the fires around 10 p.m. at Pull A Part on Highway 99, about three hours after the business closed.
Police dogs were called out immediately, said Lynnwood detective Jerry Riener.
“A K-9 did track to a location – at this time it can’t be determined whether it was an actual suspect or a bystander watching the fire,” Riener said.
The latest fires likely aren’t connected to four dumpster fires set the previous weekend behind the Safeway store at 19715 Highway 99, or other arsons this summer in Everett and north Seattle.
Several other fires were reported in the same area earlier this summer, McNulty said.
“We can’t determine yet if (Sunday’s incident) was aimed at that business or type of business, or if it was just an opportunistic chance to do it,” Riener said.
Bruce Thomson, manager of Ferrill’s Auto Parts Inc., which operates Pull A Part, asked, “Why did it happen to us?”
Thomson said the business has never had a fire before, and it was hard to assess the actual damage. The cars on the property are used as parts vehicles.
“There are at least two vehicles that were a total loss in terms of what we can do with them, and the others have partial damage,” Thomson said.
The cars set on fire were fairly deep in the yard and in different locations, Thomson said. He said the fence had been cut.
If someone has more information about the fires, call detective Jerry Riener at 425-744-6915.
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