Man arrested for arson in Spokane brush fire

SPOKANE, Wash. - Spokane County deputies arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of arson and malicious mischief over the weekend after surveillance footage contradicted his initial story about a brush fire along the Appleway Trail.

The man was booked into the Spokane County Jail for first-degree arson and second-degree malicious mischief, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

Brush fire reported on Spokane trail

What we know:

First responders were dispatched to a reported brush fire on the Appleway Trail, west of Steen Road and south of East Sprague Avenue, around 4:45 a.m. on Saturday, Aug.15.

A responding deputy saw a man waving frantically toward the fire. Deputies detained the man at the scene while Spokane Valley Fire personnel extinguished the flames.

(Spokane County Sheriff's Office)

Investigation of brush fire, arrest

Timeline:

During questioning, the man admitted to carrying a lighter but claimed he saw an unknown person start the fire and walk away. Because deputies lacked initial probable cause, the man was released at the scene. Investigators recovered an aerosol can of starting fluid near the burned area.

Hours later, deputies reviewed security footage from a nearby business that showed a suspect, believed to be the man, set the fire, walked away, and stopped to take a photo of the flames before calling in the report.

(Spokane County Sheriff's Office)

Following the discovery of the video footage and coordination with Spokane Valley Fire Investigators, deputies contacted the man later in the afternoon. He was taken into custody without incident and remains booked in the Spokane County Jail on two felony counts.

The estimated cost of structural damage caused when fire crews were forced to cut a fence to gain access to the fire was about $2,000.