MALTBY — Two fires at a construction site near Maltby early Wednesday morning have been ruled arsons.
The Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office is asking for tips from the public. There is a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest or conviction, investigator Ed Hardesty said Thursday.
Two homes under construction were damaged and another was nearly gutted, said Heather Chadwick, a spokeswoman for Fire District 7. The initial damage estimate is $500,000.
There were at least two separate fires, and a third attempted arson, Hardesty said.
“At this time I have no suspects,” he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call a national hotline, 1-800-55-ARSON, or the Fire Marshal’s Office at 425-388-3557. Tips can be anonymous.
The two-alarm fire was reported just before 6:30 a.m. Wednesday along 188th Street SE near Broadway Avenue. Dawn broke about 40 minutes later.
Crews arrived to find flames shooting from one house under construction and smoke coming from a second house. Signs of another ignition were found in a third house in the final stages of construction.
The property owner arrived at the scene after learning of the fires. The man was taken to a hospital to be checked, Chadwick said. It was unclear Thursday whether he had suffered a medical emergency or had injuries from the fire.
The location is just a few miles from Echo Lake Road. In 2008, a nearby development in that area was the scene of the “Street of Dreams” arsons. Several luxury homes were destroyed or damaged — about $7 million worth of property.
A banner at the 2008 crime scene featured the initials “E.L.F.” It led investigators to suspect involvement by the Earth Liberation Front, a band of environmental terrorists responsible for setting many blazes in the West. The Street of Dreams arsons were never solved. The FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were involved in that investigation.
In 2004, a note mentioning ELF was discovered near several bottles of gasoline and makeshift fuses at another development near Maltby.
Investigators on Thursday gave no indication there was any connection between Wednesday’s arsons and those from years ago.
There was “no evidence that would suggest they are related,” Hardesty said.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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