SPOKANE, Wash. — A recent incident involving the release of an arson suspect who had admitted to setting several fires has raised questions. KREM 2 News has sought clarification from the Spokane Police Department regarding the factors that led to this decision.
As per court documents, graffiti bearing the message "Burn Down Spokane" along with the date August 3rd was discovered downtown. Concurrently, the Spokane Fire Department was investigating three fires ignited on the same day. Among these fires, the Sunset Highway wildfire rapidly escalated, prompting Level 3 evacuation orders. Although the remaining two fires were of lesser magnitude, they also necessitated evacuation orders. All three fires shared close proximity, and investigators started an arson investigation.
In the late hours of the same day, Spokane Police responded to a trespassing call near Division and Indiana. The individual in question, now identified as 53-year-old Vickie Smith, asked repeated questions about the possibility of arrest for her involvement in the fires. Smith admitted to the officers that she set the fires with the primary intent of securing housing, emphasizing her lack of intention to cause harm. Despite this admission, officers opted not to detain Smith and chose to forego further questioning. Instead, court documents indicate that officers provided her with transportation to a homeless shelter.
The subsequent morning saw Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer informing KREM 2 News that an arsonist was deemed responsible for the trio of suspicious fires in the West Hills area. However, this revelation did not immediately lead to Smith's apprehension.
It was on Monday, August 7th, that the Spokane Police Department acknowledged receiving information about the intentionally set fires from the preceding week. Detectives shared their awareness of a prior interaction between one of their officers and Vickie Smith. By analyzing surveillance footage, eyewitness testimonies and body camera recordings, law enforcement linked Smith to both the graffiti and the string of fires.
Detectives contacted Vickie Smith via email two days after this discovery. Smith replied and admitted to setting eight fires across the Spokane area—five in Dishman Hills and three in the West Hills—all on August 3rd.
With these developments in view, KREM 2 News sought comment from the Spokane Police Department regarding their decision not to question Vickie Smith on the night of the West Hills fires. However, the police declined to provide an explanation, citing it was an ongoing investigation.
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