A suspect was arrested Wednesday in connection to a massive fire that destroyed dozens of boats at a Seattle boat storage facility.
More than 30 boats were destroyed after the fire engulfed the facility and one other nearby building on Portage Bay, the Seattle Fire Department said in a statement.
Parts of the Seattle area saw air quality levels in the moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups range as a result of the marina fire.
Dramatic images from the scene showed the charred remains of a structure and billows of gray smoke rising from a large blaze by the water.
About 80 firefighters responded to the fire around 2 a.m., along with the Seattle Police Department’s harbor patrol unit and the U.S. Coast Guard. By about 6 a.m., the fire department tweeted that the blaze was under control.
An arson bomb squad later found a 32-year-old man on a boat docked near the fire, Seattle police said. The man was arrested and hospitalized in stable condition. Once he’s medically cleared, he’s expected to be booked into jail on arson charges, according to police.
Contact Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.
