SPOKANE, Wash. — The woman accused of starting a series of fires near Sunset Highway admitted her actions to police while she was being questioned for trespassing, according to newly filed court documents.
Vickie Smith, 53, was arrested in King County on Thursday for allegedly setting four fires near the Finch Arboretum on Aug. 3. The day after the fires, Smith was contacted by police for allegedly trespassing and, during that conversation, admitted to police that she lit fires "up at the golf course" in order to get housing.
On the evening of Aug. 3, Spokane Fire crews responded to a third-alarm brush fire near the Finch Arboretum in the West Hills neighborhood. The fire prompted Level 3 (GO NOW) evacuations and burned approximately seven acres of land. The following day, Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said the fires were intentionally set.
No structures were lost in the fire and no injuries or fatalities were reported.
While the fires were burning, Cindi Miraglia, a West Hills resident, saw a "suspicious female who was bent down" holding what appeared to be a lighter or match. She told police she confronted the woman for trespassing on her property and walked her out of the neighborhood while calling 911.
Miraglia called police a second time and kept the woman from running away or going onto another neighbor's property.
While escorting the woman out of the neighborhood, the resident told police she spoke with the woman about her housing situation. The woman told her she was "upset with the Catalyst Housing" because they would not let her stay there, according to court documents.
"Telling me about how discouraged she was about the services she got, she got nothing to eat, to drink," Miraglia told KREM 2. "How all these services for the homeless are terrible."
Miraglia said the two also talked about the fires.
"I said, 'I’m really upset about these fires,' and she said, ‘Yeah, I’d be upset too if someone was setting fires by my house,'" she said. "I think she really just wanted to be heard.”
In the early morning hours of Aug. 4, Spokane police officers responded to a trespassing call near Indiana Avenue. The alleged trespasser, later identified as Smith, repeatedly asked the officers if "she was going to be arrested for lighting fires." Court documents state the two officers didn't know about the ongoing arson investigation.
Smith told the officers she had been homeless for more than 12 years and stated she lit the fires "in order to get housing." She said she didn't want to hurt anyone when she lit the fires and said there wouldn't be anymore "because it is no longer 8/3." Police would later learn that statement was in reference to graffiti seen around Spokane with the phrase "Burn Down Spokane 8/3/23."
“She didn’t mind. She smiled," Miraglia said. "I told her, 'You’re going to be a suspect in an arson investigation,' and she just kind of smiled and let me take her picture.”
Police ultimately determined Smith was responsible for the graffiti through security footage from Washington Trust Bank. While reviewing the footage, officers recognized Smith from previous encounters and were able to contact her through email. During that conversation, court documents say Smith admitted to setting a total of eight fires around Spokane and Spokane Valley. She also said she left Spokane and was in the Seattle area.
SPD said Smith was arrested and booked into the King County Jail on Thursday. She is currently awaiting extradition back to Spokane where she faces three counts of first-degree arson. At this time, Smith is still in custody in King County.
KREM 2 reached out to the Spokane Police Department for comment on the arrest, but they said they can't comment on an ongoing investigation.
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