A man treated for burns told investigators he woke up surrounded by fire, according to a probable cause affidavit.
SNOHOMISH, Wash. — Snohomish County fire investigators believe a large trestle fire near Harvey Airfield was intentionally set after the fire burned about 300 feet of railroad structure and left one person with burns, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The Snohomish County Fire Marshals Office believes the man who was burned was responsible for the fire. KING 5 News will not name the man until he has been officially charged.
Snohomish County Fire District 4 was first called around 5:19 a.m. May 12 for what was reported as a brush fire near Airport Way.
The response was upgraded after crews saw heavy smoke and received reports that a railroad trestle was burning.
According to the affidavit, people reported trees on fire behind Hangar 420 and black smoke coming from the railroad tracks.
When firefighters arrived, they found a large column of smoke and a railroad trestle fully engulfed in flames. The fire also spread into nearby trees and vegetation.
About 50 firefighters fought the fire from two locations, using four tenders, handlines and a ladder truck for an aerial attack. Fire officials said access was difficult because there were no roads in the area.
Crews contained the fire by about 6:30 a.m.
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The affidavit said deputies found the man crawling down the railroad tracks with burns to his hands and feet. He told investigators he had been camping in the area, woke up surrounded by fire and did not know how the fire started.
A deputy fire marshal wrote that investigators found two separate areas where the fire appeared to have started. The affidavit said the fires were not connected and began along different parts of the trestle.
Investigators also found burned clothing and debris near one of the heavily damaged areas, according to the affidavit. The deputy fire marshal classified the fire as incendiary and wrote that the damage and burn patterns were consistent with the use of a handheld open flame.
Fire officials said the trestle was difficult to extinguish because of the way the wood was treated.
“They’re soaked in what we call creosote, a petroleum with lots of chemicals in it. So they burn really intensely and burn off a lot of dangerous smoke. They’re often very difficult to put out because we can’t get under and around,” said Don Waller, Snohomish Fire District chief.
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