It’s trash day in Katie Wright’s neighborhood, and she plans to pull her empty bin into the garage quickly.
Someone set fire to recycle and trash bins in the Crescent Harbor military housing neighborhood where she lives, which is located east of Oak Harbor.
At least two of the fires blossomed into bigger blazes. Wright heard about a third that scorched the siding on a house.
“I worry about it,” she said. “I have a baby and a kid. I don’t need our house burning down.”
The Naval Air Station Whidbey Island commanding officer warned personnel in an online message to stay vigilant and stash bins inside the garage until trash day.
“This is a potentially life threatening situation, particularly if the fire spreads to nearby structures or homes as we have seen in two of the fires,” said Capt. Mike Nortier in the message.
Navy officials are tightlipped about the fires, declining to provide basic details, including how many occurred. Base spokesman Mike Welding did confirm no one was hurt. The two larger fires were set at night.
“We aren’t going to say anymore,” he said.
At least one of the fires happened Sept. 8. The fire gutted the garage and caused significant damage to the home.
Officials are asking residents of military housing to report any suspicious activity to the NCIS tip line at 360-257-3359 or text an anonymous tip to NCIS 274637. An anonymous complaint also can be filed at the website NCIS.navy.mil
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People who live in military housing are on alert after someone started fires in trash and recycling bins next to houses in Crescent Harbor.
The commander of the base posted a message online asking people to remain vigilant and immediately stash trash and recycle bins inside until it’s time for pick up.
“This is a potentially life threatening situation, particularly if the fire spreads to nearby structures or homes as we have seen in two of the fires,” said Capt. Mike Nortier, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island base commander in the message.
The message did not provide additional information about how many fires were set or where.
The original message, posted on Facebook, included a photo from a fire that started in a garage last month at Crescent Harbor. That photo was later taken down.
No one was hurt in the Sept. 8 incident, but the fire gutted the garage and caused significant damage to the home.
Officials are asking residents of military housing to report any suspicious activity to the NCIS tip line at 360-257-3359 or text an anonymous tip to NCIS 274637. An anonymous complaint also can be filed at the website NCIS.navy.mil
