Kent Police arrested a 31-year-old Covington man for investigation of reckless burning after he reportedly set more than a dozen brush fires Monday afternoon, June 30 in the Valley.
Officers were dispatched just after 2 p.m. to a brush fire in the area of South 212th Street and 72nd Avenue South, according to a Tuesday, July 1 Kent Police social media post. Witnesses said a male in a black hoodie and shorts reportedly was seen walking away from the area just as the fire started.
Officers discovered additional brush fires north of the location, according to police. At about 2:45 p.m., a city of Kent Parks employee called 911 to report new fires being set at 68th Avenue South and South 204th Street. A man with a similar clothing description to the first fire allegedly was seen setting the fires and walking away.
A traffic officer arrived near the location of the second set of fires and the parks employee pointed at a man in the distance walking away, according to police. Officers stopped the man and detained him without incident.
As officers approached the man, he reportedly dropped several items from his hands, including a lighter, according to police. The man’s skin was covered in a fluid, his legs were red and he had a white powdery white and black ash-like substance on his shins, according to police. He also reportedly was emitting a burnt smell.
Puget Sound Fire personnel checked the man for injuries and he was deemed OK to be booked, according to police.
One of the fires was set behind Puget Sound Fire Station 76, 20676 72nd Ave. S. The station had video of a man reportedly lighting the fire.
Witnesses allegedly identified the man, according to police. One witness said he saw the man crouch down at least 12 times as he walked up the road, and each time he stood back up there was a smoke rising from where he had crouched.
Officers also arrested the man for a $5,400 warrant for criminal trespass for a previous incident.
Puget Sound Fire extinguished the fires. Nobody was injured and no buildings were damaged, according to police.
Kent Police thanked witnesses for their actions.
“Your interventions helped us to get him into custody and allowed Puget Sound Fire to get the fires under control before something more tragic happened,” according to a police statement.
Police said they didn’t know why the man started the fires.
“At this point we can’t answer that,” according to a police statement.
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