SEATTLE — Four people are fighting for their lives after fire swept through a motel as they slept. Investigators now believe this was a case of arson.
The fire was so intense that several people jumped out of the windows of the Hillside Motel on Aurora Avenue to survive.
In all, seven people were sent to the hospital. The residents say that worst of all, they have seen the surveillance video that shows someone appearing to set the fire.
"First, I started hearing screaming, like screaming for help." That is how Katie Purcell knew something terrible was happening at the motel where she and her boyfriend have lived for about a year.
It was a rude early-morning awakening for those living in the Hillside Motel.
It was just before 5 o'clock Monday morning. She and another resident hurried to get water and a ladder to try to help.
"And we had to carry them down the ladder and stuff," she said, her voice breaking. "And it was so sad."
The fire was moving so quickly that some people jumped out of windows trying to escape, but at least four residents couldn't get out and were badly burned.
"They were so hurt like physically, like burning," said Purcell, crying. "Their skin was falling off.
Moreover, say the residents, this was no accident.
"My own personal opinion?" asked Oak, who provides security. "Yeah, I think somebody set it on purpose."
Indeed, he later confirmed that the video cameras around the property showed a man with three plastic jugs dousing the motel with a liquid.
Moments later, nearby trees caught fire, then the building.
"My other friend, she was badly burned," said Purcell. "She's one of those that's in ICU right now at Harborview where the fire actually, like you can see her bone."
Now those who live here are coping with the raw emotions and the difficult decisions that come with a calamity like this.
"She had to leave her dog," said Purcell, pointing to a small dog, its paws singed. "But the firefighters found her dog."
The dog's owner and three other people remain in critical condition.
Seattle police won’t confirm if they know who started the fire, but they do say the arson and bomb squad, as well as the ATF, are investigating the fire as an arson.