Man allegedly set fire to apartment after fight

A man coming down off a methamphetamine high Saturday morning set fire to his girlfriend’s bed and displaced several apartment residents, police said.

Charles W. Dawkins, 47, who fled the scene, could face charges of arson and domestic violence, said Spokane Police officer William Hager.

The Red Cross assisted more than nine residents displaced from the apartment building at 506 W. Sinto, officials said. The fire was confined to apartment No. 7, but flames damaged electrical wires that affected multiple units.

The events leading up to Saturday’s arson began the night before, Hager said. Officers responded to the apartment building about a domestic fight Friday after Dawkins’ 50-year-old girlfriend called for help, but he was gone when police arrived.

The police received another call from the woman Saturday morning after Dawkins returned, Hager said. This time, he was threatening to burn up her apartment.

“When the police arrived, the apartment was fully engulfed with flames,” Hager said.

Fire crews responded to the fire about 8:30 a.m., said Spokane Fire battalion chief Ken Kirsch. The blaze was on the second floor of the apartment building’s southwest corner.

“Crews were able to knock down the fire quickly, but there was smoke and water damage throughout,” Kirsch said.

Spokane police performed a door-to-door search at a nearby apartment complex for Dawkins but didn’t find him, Hager said.

Dawkins was described as white, 6 feet 3 inches tall and 210 pounds with sandy blond hair and a mustache. He was last seen wearing a dark blue Seattle Seahawks jacket.

According to Dawkins’ girl- friend, he is armed with a knife, Hager said. Anyone with information regarding Dawkins’ whereabouts is asked to call 911.