A Washington firefighter was arrested last Tuesday in connection with a September 1 arson fire that caused $2.7 million in damage when it destroyed the Heart Seed Company warehouse in Fairfield, WA.
Kenneth Southwell, 46, served as incident commander at the fire. He later confessed to setting the fire, as well as setting five prior fires, during an interview with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said ATF Special Agent Lance Hart.
Hart said local fire officials invited the ATF to investigate the Heart Seed fire because it involved a Washington warehouse and Idaho grass seed. ATF officials determined that the fire was intentionally set and interviewed over 60 people including fire officials, witnesses and neighbors.
"Throughout that process, some information developed that Mr. Southwell might be involved in other fires," Hart said. The agent said he could not discuss this information because the case has been referred to the U.S. Attorney's Office and will be presented to a grand jury.
When Southwell came in for a normal interview with ATF investigators to discuss the Heart Seed incident, he confessed to multiple arsons, Hart said.
"During that interview he confessed to a total of five fires, and then the Heart Seed Company, for a total of six," Hart said. There were no injuries suffered at the arson scenes.
The first five fires were all set over the past few months at one location, a vacant house within a few blocks of the Heart Seed Company, Hart said. The Heart Seed warehouse contained about 2 million pounds of freshly harvested grass seed, and sustained an estimated $2.7 million in damage.
ATF officials charged Southwell with federal statute 844I, for use of a fire to destroy a building involved in interstate commerce. If convicted, Southwell will face five to 20 years incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000. He appeared at a detention hearing Monday and has been detained without bond, Hart said.
