Suspect in downtown Olympia arson called 'person of interest' in huge warehouse blaze, other fires

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Olympia police have a 22-year-old man in custody they're calling a "person of interest" in Tuesday's huge fire that destroyed a nearly 100-year-old warehouse.

By the time firefighters arrived around 1 a.m. Tuesday, smoke and flames poured from the building located at 227 Adams St. NE. Deputy Fire Chief Greg Wright said a local fuel company, a small tea wholesaler and a wood shop booth rented out space in the warehouse. He said the warehouse was built in the 1920s and at one point was part of a lumber mill.

On Wednesday, police say the 22-year-old man was spotted on surveillance camera as a suspect in a smaller downtown fire and was arrested Tuesday.

"During the police interview, ... (the suspect) recounted that he witnessed seven other recent fires in the City of Olympia and provided some suspicious details regarding his presence at those fires," a police news release said.

Detectives are trying to determine if he's also connected to those other fires, including the major warehouse fire.

Police said the suspect is a transient from California.