BY SPENCER WEBSTER
South Whidbey Record
FREELAND — A rash of suspicious fires in and around Freeland has the South Whidbey community worried and the Island County Sheriff’s Office scrambling to find a suspect.
The string of similar fires, which began more than a month ago, has drawn increased attention since the restroom facilities at Double Bluff Beach were destroyed some time on May 28.
The fires have grown increasingly more serious. A fire at a house on Cameron Road in Freeland on May 30 caused an estimated $250,000 worth of damage.
“We have a series of suspicious fires with the same MO, during hours of darkness,” said Island County Sheriff Mark Brown. “They are similar, related and not accidental. It is very concerning to me.”
“We’re trying to develop leads because of the proximity, similarities, time frames and frequency of fires,” Brown said.
The fire threat has prompted Brown to increase patrols. He is also asking the community for help.
“I am telling citizens to report any suspicious activity, to be extremely vigilant, to be aware of outbuildings and check or remove other sources of flammable materials,” he said.
For Angus and Maureen MacDonald, owners of the Tartan Thistle on Cameron Road, the charred remains of their destroyed house that warehoused a bulk of their Highland Games inventory, display cases and equipment represents a total loss.
The MacDonalds had also been preparing to lease the building to another business.
“I just had had a storage container delivered on Tuesday to move everything out of the house and Wednesday morning, and someone burned it down,” said Maureen MacDonald. “So we never even had the chance.”
“The loss here is tremendous. We had a lot going here and it was just coming together right at the first of June,” Angus MacDonald said. “It is a real setback. I am just glad he didn’t injure any people and that the fire didn’t spread to neighbors’ houses. It could have been a lot worse.”
Maureen MacDonald said the couple was devastated by the fire.
“You stretch yourself so far to try and take another step forward, to build something, to build a future, dreams or inheritance for the kids and it’s all taken away with a single match,” she said. “That’s the tragedy. This pile of ashes represents a pile of dreams. The hope now is to eventually rebuild this house. We cannot go on without it.”
She also warned others to be on the lookout for the person who is starting the fires.
“Until this guy is caught, people need to be really aware of strange things happening around them,” MacDonald said. “Be aware and be on the lookout for something not normal. Don’t drive by and ignore it. Stop and ask questions. Remember what the people look like, write a license plate number down — do something.”
John Schouman, a private fire investigator from Fire Protection Consultants who was hired to inspect the MacDonald’s house, urged people to be aware of situations that are conducive to arson.
“The fire appears to have been started on the outside here, somewhere near the garage door,” Schouman said. “The fire burned its way inside and worked its way through the rest of the structure.”
“If this is an incendiary fire, which it appears to be, people should be looking out for all types of vacant buildings, subject to very little vehicular traffic with little to no lighting. If there is someone running around here, those are the types of areas he would be hitting,” Schouman said.
Fire District 3 Chief Dan Stout
would not comment about the ongoing investigation other than to indicate the county’s fire marshall has jurisdiction in the matter.
The Island County Sheriff’s Office is asking that anyone with information or tips about the fires to call the non-emergency tip-line for South Whidbey at 321-5113, ext. 7319 or directly at 360-679-7319. For suspicious activity of an urgent nature, call 911.
The most recent reported fire was 11:27 p.m. Friday, June 1. It was set in an old storage shed on Swede Hill Road and caused damage to an adjacent building.
At 1:09 a.m. Wednesday, May 30, a residential fire was reported at the Tartan Thistle house on Cameron Road.
At 12:21 a.m. on Monday, May 28, the restrooms at Double Bluff County Park were destroyed by fire.
A brush fire was reported at 3:15 a.m. Tuesday, May 15 along the bluff behind Freeland Hall.
At 12:39 a.m. Friday, May 11, a portable bathroom was torched at a county road work site on North Bluff Road.
On Thursday, May 10, a trash can was dragged into the men’s restroom at Freeland Park and set on fire.
On Saturday, May 6, a commercial fire was reported at 11:52 p.m. at Island Recycling on Highway 525. A couple of 1,000-pound bales of recycling plastic were set on fire, which spread to and burned 40 to 50 tires.
A brush fire was reported at 11:54 p.m. Wednesday, May 2 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland, but firefighters discovered a burning recycling bin when they arrived.
Spencer Webster can be reached at 221-5300 or at swebster@southwhidbeyrecord.com
