SEATTLE — A man has been arrested in connection to an apartment fire in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood that killed two people in July.
The 65-year-old man was arrested Aug. 12 on suspicion of manslaughter.
The fire broke out July 10 just after 2 a.m. in an apartment in the 100 block of Vine Street. Investigators believe the fire started in a unit on the third floor and was ignited by improperly discarded smoking materials.
The fire spread to the hallway and the unit above on the fourth floor. When crews arrived, there was heavy smoke, which hindered firefighting efforts, and it took crews several hours to put out the blaze.
A 61-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. A 50-year-old woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center where she later died.
In July, investigators ruled the fire as accidental.
The man who was arrested was initially questioned by homicide detectives as a person of interest. However, he was released that same day.
The man was booked into the King County Jail after his arrest.
