Update: 2 cars set on fire in 2 hours in West Seattle

2:05 AM: That’s the aftermath of the second of two car fires in two hours in eastern West Seattle tonight. There’s no official information on the two fires, not even whether they’re potentially related, but we do know that police and fire investigators were sent to both scenes. Our photo is from 28th/Brandon, an undeveloped street north of eastern High Point, where the burning car was found after midnight. About two hours earlier, another car fire was investigated at 18th and Myrtle, a mile and a half away (as this map shows). We hope to find out later this morning if arson is suspected in either or both.

9:37 AM UPDATE: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore says their investigator determined both fires to be arson: “There are no witnesses and no suspects. It is under investigation whether the two car fires are related or not.”

2:48 PM UPDATE: More information just in from SFD’s Moore: The 18th/Myrtle fire involved a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee and did $6,500 in damage. The 28th/Brandon fire (as shown in our photo above) involved a 2005 BMW, with damage estimated at $16,000. Both fires are currently under investigation by SPD.

21 Replies to "Update: 2 cars set on fire in 2 hours in West Seattle"

  • Wendy November 18, 2011 (3:17 am)

    Huh. there was a car fire here in HIgh Point at about 9:20 on 30th at Raymond. We were going to call 911 but the neighbor came out and due to language barrier couldn’t get past telling them to not open the hood and maybe it happened when they started the car and they closed the hood to contain it but I think it is unusual to start your car with the hood up so I don’t know if we really understood. The fire went out while we stood there trying to figure it out. Man it stank big time. All that melted plastic.

    • WSB November 18, 2011 (7:51 am)

      Wendy – hope they have since called police, if applicable …

  • marty November 18, 2011 (8:00 am)

    Must be “Carbecue” season!

  • bridge to somewhere November 18, 2011 (8:11 am)

    the car in the first picture appears to be a late model BMW, a 7 series or 5 series: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:06-08_BMW_750i.jpg

  • DF November 18, 2011 (9:00 am)

    Welcome to the World of The Cartel

  • hp resident November 18, 2011 (9:35 am)

    seems like the car fire in high point should be reported in case there is a link

    • WSB November 18, 2011 (9:39 am)

      Just updated the story: Both fires were determined to be arson. – TR

  • Matt November 18, 2011 (9:45 am)

    Was it 18th & Myrtle (as in the story) or 16th & Myrtle (as in the map)? Just curious since I live really close to both. Would love to see any updates on this story. Thanks WSB!

    • WSB November 18, 2011 (10:11 am)

      Fire log says 18th & Myrtle. Will have to fix the map. I asked Kyle from SFD about the make of car involved in that fire (since the scene was clear before I got a chance to check it out – we don’t routinely respond to car fires but when there are two in two hours and the investigator’s called out, that sent me out to the second one) – he said some kind of Jeep. I’ll be checking with SPD in a bit as well, since arson would bring them into the investigation – TR

  • Lisa November 18, 2011 (10:54 am)

    Definitely 18th and Myrtle; we could see it from the Common House here at Puget Ridge Cohousing

  • rockergirl5678 November 18, 2011 (11:07 am)

    Was this the jeep that crashed in to a bus last night? Mentioned on Komo news at 11?

    • WSB November 18, 2011 (11:39 am)

      Don’t know. There was a crash involving a bus somewhere else – not 18th/Myrtle – but it wasn’t a big deal, per the information we got – TR

  • sam-c November 18, 2011 (11:39 am)

    rockergirl- i would bet not; based on what I’ve seen, that jeep hardly ever left its parking spot. it’s seen multiple orange abandoned car stickers in its day. (of course, I haven’t driven by to see if it was the yellow jeep that lives at that corner, or another jeep that was recently parked at that corner)

  • Been There November 18, 2011 (11:42 am)

    28th/Brandon, where the burnt car photo was taken, is a chronic spot for crap going down, abandoned junk cars and garbage dumping.

    • WSB November 18, 2011 (11:51 am)

      It was pretty spooky even with two police cars and a fire marshal there.

  • chrisma November 18, 2011 (12:46 pm)

    Insurance fraud? Destruction of evidence?

  • Been There November 18, 2011 (1:10 pm)

    WSB – That is one of the many locations that I have a great deal of concern that DESC clients will find themselves in danger.

  • mookie November 18, 2011 (1:34 pm)

    “Welcome to the World of The Cartel”
    .
    –hardly.

  • Wendy Hughes-Jelen November 18, 2011 (4:23 pm)

    18th and Myrtle is right where our old house is – if it is on 18th then I know it belonged to one of my former neighbors.

  • w.s. maverick November 19, 2011 (8:10 am)

    oh no the cartel wasn’t supposed to be here until next week

  • James November 19, 2011 (10:06 pm)

    ok it was not 28th and Brandon cause 28th doesn’t exist it was 29th and Brandon and it is not a spooky place and we haven’t had a car burn down there in like 10 or more years but i would like to know why it was burned so any info is good info

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