New details on cause of tiny home fire in Seattle’s Lower Queen Anne neighborhood

The man arrested for causing the Thursday morning fire that damaged 25 tiny homes in Seattle’s Lower Queen Anne neighborhood made his first court appearance on Friday.

Seattle firefighters were called to a tiny home village in the 500 block of Elliott Avenue West at 2:43 a.m. Thursday. The fire spread to 17 tiny homes. Eight other homes close to the fire were also damaged. Residents in all 25 homes were displaced.

Catholic Community Services, the organization that runs the tiny home village, says a total of 28 people were displaced.

The Seattle Police Department told KIRO 7 on Thursday that a 36-year-old man was arrested for reckless burning and an outstanding warrant.

More details on how the fire allegedly started were included in the first appearance document which was prepared by Seattle Police and presented in court.

The first appearance document says the suspect is a resident of the tiny home village. The suspect told police that he lit a cigarette with a torch. He then set the lit torch down and it caught his curtains on fire and spread from there.

The suspect says he tried to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher but was unable to do so.

The court found probable cause for First Degree Reckless Burning and set bail at $20,000. The suspect has not yet been charged.