Lacey police arrest resident on suspicion of arson after home erupts in flames
Lacey police arrested a 29-year-old man on suspicion of arson early Friday morning after his home erupted in flames, prompting multiple emergency calls.
The fire alarmed residents near the 4300 Block of Maricite Street Southeast, which is west of College Street and north of 45th Avenue Southeast. They rushed to alert their neighbors just after midnight. Police responded to the scene around 12:49 a.m. and found the flames still visible from the backside of the house, said Sgt. Shannon Barnes.
No one was hurt in the blaze and the home’s resident was outside the home when it burned, Barnes said. Firefighters cleared the scene at about 3:18 a.m. and noted substantial damage to the home, Barnes added.
Meanwhile, police questioned the home’s resident who reportedly offered several reasons for the blaze before admitting to starting it, Barnes said. The resident’s intent is still under investigation.
Jennifer Schmidt, a resident who lives behind the now-burned home, said she awoke around midnight to a loud explosion.
“I was laying in bed and I heard a big boom in the middle of the night… and I just had this feeling that something was wrong,” Schmidt said. “When I looked out my back window… the whole back of my neighbor’s house was engulfed in flames.”
She said fire also burned an awning area in the back of the home, prompting her to hose down her fence to defend her home.
“There were no first responders, I couldn’t hear anybody,” Schmidt said. “There’s was nobody screaming, there was no noise. It was a really loud, hot fire.”
Her partner called 911 and they began to go door to door to alert their neighbors to the fire, Schmidt said. She added firefighters arrived soon after they called and spent the next few hours containing the blaze.
She said she went back to her own home not too long after firefighters arrived, but the firefighters remained at the adjacent home well into the night. Schmidt added she’s glad to know nobody was hurt.
