Man sought in series of Spokane Valley arsons

Spokane Valley firefighters are searching for a suspect in a series of four arsons set early Friday morning.

The first fire was reported just after 3:30 a.m. in the 12700 block of East Broadway Avenue, when a passerby spotted a garbage can on fire at a home, the fire department said in a news release.

Crews had just put out the fire when another fire was reported at the Spokane Baptist Church, one block away. Two portable toilets near the church were on fire, but crews were able to stop the fire from spreading to the building, the church said.

A third fire in a garbage can was reported at 4:31 a.m. in the 12900 block of East Valleyway Avenue. When crews responded, a neighbor told them there was another fire at the At Home Residential Care facility nearby, the release said.

A caretaker at the facility told fire investigators he’d spoken with an intoxicated man about the fire before crews arrived.

No one was injured in any of the fires. Fire investigators are looking for the intoxicated man, who is believed to be in his 30s with average build and height.

Anyone with information about the fires should call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.