Updated: Blaze near downtown Tacoma is ‘very similar’ to prior arson. Police ask for help
The Tacoma Fire Department responded Saturday morning to a blaze at a building downtown that officials said was “very similar” to a prior arson.
Police and fire personnel responded to the scene in the 300 block of East 26th Street around 6:45 a.m. Saturday, according to a police department news release. The suspect was captured in surveillance footage ahead of the fire.
The fire department posted three videos to X (Twitter) just after 9 a.m. Saturday showing first responders working to contain the fire.
It was “very similar to a previous arson-related fire at the same location,” the agency posted.
Fire Department spokesperson Chelsea Shepherd told The News Tribune that the first suspicious fire occurred July 12. The building has an apartment upstairs, she said. No one was inside the space this time around because it was uninhabitable after the previous blaze.
The Tacoma Police Department is searching for a suspect spotted in the area, TFD wrote Saturday morning on X.
“This is an active investigation,” TFD wrote.
The police department later released images of the suspect, who appears to be a male with a medium build. In the grainy photos, the person is wearing a backpack.
In a message posted on X at 9:04 a.m., fire authorities warned that 26th Street was closed between D street and the 705 off-ramp. Drivers headed to events close to the Tacoma Dome were encouraged to use different routes.
Over the past week, the Tacoma Fire Department has responded to between seven and nine fires that could have been intentionally set, Shepherd said.
Police said it is unclear whether Saturday’s fire can be linked to the recent slew of arsons in the area, which were set along Dock Street, Puyallup Avenue and in Fife.
“In response to the increase in reported arsons, the Tacoma Police Department will be staffing emphasis patrols throughout the city,” according to the agency’s news release.
The Tacoma Police Department is asking the public to help identify the suspect seen Saturday.
Those with information that could lead law enforcement to find the person or people responsible can contact the Tacoma Police Department. Tipsters can also contact Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS or via the P3tips app.
This story was originally published July 20, 2024 at 11:37 AM.
