Seattle Man Arrested For Vancouver Fire; Possible Link To Multiple Arsons

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- A Seattle man has been arrested in a major arson fire and authorities in his hometown say they want to question him about a rash of arson fires there.

The 45-year-old man was arrested early Thursday as fire did an estimated $1.5 million (US$1.1 million) in damage to a four-story apartment building under construction, police said.

A security guard tried to stop the man as he attempted to flee, and a passing motorist and another man helped restrain him until officers arrived, police said. Only then were the flames spotted.

``The building looks like it's a write-off,'' fire Capt. Rob Jones-Cook said.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police were investigating another overnight fire that destroyed a two-story condominium complex under construction in suburban Richmond about an hour earlier.

``It's a suspicious fire,'' RCMP Cpl. Peter Thiessen said. ``At this point, we're certainly consulting with Vancouver to see if there are any similarities.''

Seattle has had at least 14 arson fires this summer, including two that caused nearly $8 million in damage at north end construction sites in late July. As in Vancouver, no one was injured.

``We don't know with any certainty that this guy's at all related to arsons here in Seattle,'' Seattle police officer Scott Moss said, ``but we are working in conjunction with Vancouver police in an effort to find out if, in fact, these are connected.''

``Both departments will be working together to determine if there are any connections between the fires,'' Vancouver police Constable Sarah Bloor said.

Two Seattle detectives and an investigator from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives went to Vancouver to talk to the man, KIRO Television of Seattle reported.

On July 31 a three-alarm fire gutted the Roycroft Condominiums under construction in Seattle, causing losses estimated at $5 million, including damage to nearby homes and businesses, Seattle Fire Department spokeswoman Helen Fitzpatrick said.

Also determined to be arson was a three-alarm fire that started in a townhouse under construction on July 25 and caused $2.85 million in damage to the building and surrounding townhouses.