Investigators say fire that destroyed Seattle warehouse was set on purpose

SEATTLE — Investigators determined that a fire that destroyed a warehouse in Seattle’s Industrial District was intentionally set.

The fire department made the announcement on Tuesday.

The fire happened on July 16 at a building on 7th Avenue South.

911 calls first came in around 1 a.m.

Large plastic and metal barrels were found inside a trailer and surrounding the building. It was unknown if the barrels were empty or what substance they may have contained.

An AlertSeattle notification was sent out to people within a half-mile radius, asking everyone to close their windows and doors to avoid smoke.

It took firefighters about two and a half hours to fully extinguish the flames.

Investigators have shared their findings with Seattle police. No word on whether the department has a suspect or suspects.

Investigators have not shared what led them to believe the fire was set on purpose.