SPOKANE, Wash. – Firefighters were called to People’s Park early Wednesday morning to contain a fire that burned a quarter-acre. The park has been the site of several suspicious fires recently. However, firefighters at the scene did not identify the cause of this particular blaze.
Lieutenant Cal Lindsay of the Spokane Fire Department emphasized the importance of timing in preventing disasters. He stated, “So fire like this, even though we got on top of it very quickly could spread to something large very quickly.”
Lindsay added that even small fires like the one at People’s Park are treated with urgency. He said, “And one spark. It doesn’t matter how the spark started whether it’s a pure accident or an intentional act, you have a catastrophe on your hands.”
NonStop Local spoke with Ed Nordskog, a retired arson investigation specialist, about the trends in arson in Spokane. Nordskog explained that while red flag weather conditions do not correlate with an increase in arsonists, they do make fires more dangerous. “Because most of the people that do this, they don’t care how big the fire is. They just want to set it on fire,” Nordskog said.
He noted that serial arsonists pose a significant threat to public safety. “The main reason for most serial arsonist, most is anger and frustration,” Nordskog stated. He added that mental health and drug use are significant factors contributing to arson behavior.
Nordskog explained, “Each case is individual but when we catch somebody who is setting multiple fires over a couple weeks or a couple of months, they tend to have the exact same backgrounds, addiction issues, mental health issues, possible brain trauma from something else.”
Since April, Spokane has experienced more than 30 suspicious and confirmed arson fires. Notably, on July 9, the Elliot Fire near Spokane Falls Community College and six separate fires in downtown Spokane occurred. Other confirmed arson fires this year have taken place in People’s Park, Riverside State Park, and along the Centennial Trail.
While some arrests have been made, Nordskog cautions that this is not a permanent solution. “And people say well didn’t they outgrow that you can’t outgrow the mental illness that’s associated with it,” he said.
To address the problem, Nordskog emphasized the need to focus on the root issues. He said, “Solving the problem means going to the root issue.”
