2-Alarm Lake City Fire Ruled Arson, Police Investigating

SEATTLE — A 2-Alarm fire in Lake City late Monday night is being investigated by SPD's Arson and Bomb Squad, after firefighters determined that the blaze was likely intentionally set — possibly by burglars who had broken into the building.

According to the Seattle Fire Department, just before 11 p.m. 911 dispatchers received several calls reporting heavy smoke coming from the strip mall in the 3000 Block of NE 127th St.

When they arrived, firefighters found a "well involved fire" burning several stores and which appeared to be radiating out from the center of the building. They quickly upgraded their response to a 2-Alarm, and over the night called in a total of 11 fire engines, five ladder trucks and 84 firefighters to help contain the blaze.

However, the fire spread very quickly. Firefighters determined it was too dangerous for anyone to enter the building, so they transitioned to battling the blaze defensively — focusing their efforts on keeping the fire from spreading further or to other buildings. They succeeded, but several sections of the mall's roof collapsed and the fire ultimately caused an estimated 2 million in damages to the stores inside.

The next day, the fire department sent out a photo of the wreckage, showing a burnt out husk of a building where the mall once stood.

Seattle Fire has also announced that their investigators believe this fire was intentionally set: as a result they've contacted the Seattle Police Arson and Bomb Squad, who have begun a follow-up investigation.

That investigation is still in the early stages, but they say they already have several indications that the fire may have been set by a group of burglars. Officers say they received a tip from a caller just before 11, around the same time firefighters also received their first reports of smoke. SPD's caller told them he had seen several people break into the one-story strip mall. The caller then reportedly watched the group leave the scene while he was still on the call with dispatchers. While the burglars left, police say the caller saw the store they had been inside start to catch fire.

Seattle police are following that lead, but are also asking anyone with any additional information on the fire to give them a call.