Everett apartment fire being investigated as arson



EVERETT, Wash. -- An Everett apartment fire that broke Wednesday afternoon is now being investigated as arson. The fire was reported around 12:30 p.m. at Hillcrest Estates in the 1000 block of 130th St. SW.

Neighbors found a little girl wandering outside and detectives are trying to figure out if her mom may have set the fire.

Sources said Snohomish County Major Crimes unit is now on the case serving a search warrant.  They’re calling this fire suspicious and sources tell Q13 News the suspect is a mom, who left her daughter in the apartment.

“There was this little girl, maybe 10, 11 years old, she was crying, said her mom left her inside,” said Francisca Validares, who lives in the apartment complex.

Neighbors said that girl made it out OK, as did everyone else who lives in the building. The apartment where the fire started is destroyed. The units above and below also suffered smoke and water damage, and firefighters had to rescue pets.

“Maggie, the English bull dog, they said she wasn’t breathing really well because she had smoke inhalation so they ended up having to put her in the ambulance and give her oxygen and stuff like that,” said Kristina Harlan, who is one of the 10 people displaced for the night.