BURIEN, Wash. — An arson investigation is underway after a school building in Burien caught fire Tuesday night.
Over 50 fire personnel responded before midnight to the former Southern Heights Elementary School on 14th Avenue South. The building is now home to the Highline Virtual Academy.
Firefighters on scene said the fire proved difficult to knock down from the outside, prompting a defensive position.
"Fuels are dry. It's easy for something like a building to catch a tree and then escalate into something else. So we were concerned about smoke and embers spreading to nearby structures and yards and so forth," said Joe Kupferling, a battalion chief for King County Fire District No. 2.
The blaze came amid some of the hottest and driest conditions of the year so far in western Washington. Officials recommended anyone in the area surrounding the fire to close their windows to avoid all the smoke coming out of the building.
Crews in the area also responded to two other fires in Burien and Normandy Park overnight.
The King County Sheriff's Office is investigating the fire as a potential arson. Fireworks are suspected to be involved, according to the fire district.
Surveillance footage shows a black sedan leaving the area around the time of the fire. The car has been identified as a vehicle of interest. Anyone with footage of the car in the area around 11:30 p.m. is asked to contact the King County Fire Investigation Unit.