Two men are believed to have set at least 10 brush fires along I-5 near Marysville in Washington state yesterday.
Truck Burned At Truck Stop
While firefighters were scrambling to put the fires out, a truck near the fuel pumps at Donna’s Travel Plaza in Tulalip caught fire, burning the cab and front part of the trailer before it was put out. The driver told investigators he had just put 300 gallons of fuel into his truck when the cab burst into flames. There was no explosion. Authorities are not sure whether the fire was caused by the suspected arsonists.
You can take a look at footage of the firefighters working to contain the blaze below.
Troopers Seeks Suspects
Troopers say that they spotted two men using a flare to start fire near milepost 218. They say that the suspected arsonists are two men in their 50s with light colored hair traveling in a Hyundai Sonata. When the suspect realized he had been spotted, he sped off in his vehicle. Troopers were able to recover the flare and a fingerprint, which they hope to use as evidence against the suspects.
Southbound I-5 was closed as crews dealt with the fires, causing a backup that was around 9 miles long during the evening commute.
Washington State Patrol asks anyone with information to contact them at 360-654-1204.
No injuries were reported as a result of the fires.
Sources:
Q13 Fox
KOMO News
Seattle Times
Ember Anderson