SEATTLE - The man who set fire to Gascoigne Lumber back in November has been identified, police say.
The 38-year-old man, already in jail for a separate case, is also suspected of starting four other fires at nearby businesses.
Police used a DNA sample found at the scene of one of the fires. They linked it to the man already behind bars. Arson charges are being prepared.
The four-alarm Gascoigne Lumber blaze destroyed five buildings and caused $4.3 million in damage. Gascoigne vowed to restart its business in a different location. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Seattle Police offered $15,000 for information. The Arson Alarm Foundation offered $10,000.
Arson seems to be plaguing lumber and furniture companies as of late. Last month, a fire at American Furniture Manufacturing in Pontotoc, Mississippi destroyed much of the company's 1-million-square-foot facility. It's the third blaze this year. An arsonist confessed to the crime. Also in Pontotoc, authorities have ruled a September 29 fire at Washington Furniture as arson.
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