Seattle arson cases triple in October, hitting 5-year monthly high
Nov 13, 2025, 8:28 AM | Updated: 3:01 pm
A photo of the fire in a Rainier Valley building under construction. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
The number of arson cases in Seattle has increased significantly in recent months, with October marking the highest month for arson in the last five years.
In October, 33 cases of arson were reported by the Seattle Police Department (SPD) in its crime dashboard, which is roughly three times the number of arson cases in September.
Whether it be a residence, construction site, vehicle, or commercial building, the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) has responded to an alarming number of intentionally set fires throughout October.
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Within one week in late October, six fires were set across multiple parts of Seattle, with three arson cases in just one day. In a separate instance, a single arsonist set a string of eight fires within one hour from Beacon Hill to Mount Baker.
SPD has worked diligently to identify and apprehend each arsonist, but SPD Detective Brian Pritchard told KIRO Newsradio that sometimes the department has to lean on the public for help.
“They’re retracing the path of the fires, and they’re trying to find either business footage or citizens who are willing to give footage from their Ring cameras or whatever camera they might have,” Pritchard said. “We’d be happy to have it.”
Throughout the year, SPD has made 25 arson arrests, with six of those occurring in October, the highest number for any month in 2025, according to the SPD arrest dashboard.
Residents and business owners throughout Seattle have noticed the startling increase in arson-related incidents and have expressed their concerns. Earlier this year, the owner of Cascade Rebuilt, Sloan Ritchie, was in the final stages of constructing three residences in Rainier Valley that were victims of an intentionally set fire.
“I never had a concern about this previously, never thought I would have to think about it, but now I think about it quite a lot,” Ritchie told The Seattle Times. “It’s frustrating, and the neighbors are freaked out and the neighborhood is justifiably concerned about their safety.”
Intentionally set fires across Seattle have become so common that the Arson Alarm Foundation continues to offer a $10,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of an arsonist.
Anyone with information regarding an intentionally set fire that can lead to the arrest of the arsonist is urged to call (800) 55-ARSON.
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