Three more fires ignite in Greenwood

The Seattle Police Department is investigating three more fires Sunday night and early today in Greenwood.

The third was reported at 7:40 a.m., when materials leaning against a building at 8102 Greenwood Ave. N. caught fire.

Seattle Fire Department spokeswoman Dana Vander Houwen said the first fire was discovered about 11 p.m. Sunday behind a commercial building near Greenwood Avenue North and North 78th Street, next to a condominium complex.

The fire was quickly extinguished and caused about $1,000 damage, said Vander Houwen.

The second blaze, reported at 4 a.m. today, was behind the Olive You restaurant, on Greenwood Avenue North just north of North 85th Street. The fire burned a back wall and electrical panels on the restaurant, said Vander Houwen, and caused about $20,000 in damage.

She said the second fire was spotted by the arson patrol in the neighborhood, which smelled smoke and saw the fire.

The fires are the latest in a string of fires — the previous deemed to be arsons — that have plagued Greenwood businesses. Last week two fires were reported at a CPA office and a guitar shop. And Oct. 23, fire was set in the Green Bean Coffee House and spread to three other restaurants, Szechuan Bistro, C.C. Teriyaki and Pho Tic Tac. The Taproot Theatre and a business complex with second-floor apartments nearby also were damaged, mainly by water and smoke. It caused $2 million in damage.

Vander Houwen said combustible material was found at the scene of the recent fires and last week fire officials went through the neighborhood talking to business owners and telling them to leave no combustible material behind their businesses. The department also has an arson patrol working the neighborhood every night.

Wan Kim is the owner of the Greenwood Quick Stop, where a fire was spotted about 7:30 a.m. today. She said she was opening her store when she smelled smoke. She looked all over her shop before going outside and finding paper burning in boxes behind her building.

She said she is frightened by the rash of Greenwood fires and wonders if they might be related to homeless people who congregate outside her store.

The fire department has issued an appeal for anyone with information that might be related to the arsons to call the Arson Alarm Hotline at 800-55-ARSON (552-7766). A $10,000 reward has been established for information leading to the arrest of the arsonist.

Seattle's Fire and Police departments are holding a meeting on the recent arsons in the Greenwood neighborhood at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Upper Crust Bakery, 8420 Greenwood Ave. N., according to our news partners at PhinneyWood.com.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com