A series of intentionally set fires throughout Spokane kept fire crews busy throughout February; now, the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) urges the public to take extra precautions to prevent further fires. The fires started on Feb. 12 around 7:16 p.m. near the 5400 block of West Barnes Road when SFD received a call of a fire coming from a parked van. Fire crews extinguished the blaze and found a hole drilled into the gas tank. Nearby, firefighters found a portable drill, which was collected as evidence.
On Feb. 26 at 11:40 a.m., SFD responded to reports of a fire at the Old Spaghetti Factory on South Monroe Street. SFD said security cameras showed a man setting fire to debris from a transient camp in the nearby alley, which smoldered for several hours before spreading to the building's HVAC system.