A fire that destroyed a Columbia City funeral home early Wednesday morning was deliberately set, according to city traffic camera footage that captured the incident.
Seattle Department of Transportation camera video shows an individual approaching Columbia Funeral Home and Crematory on Rainier Avenue South shortly before 4 a.m. The person bends down near the building’s entrance before walking away as flames begin to spread.
Seattle Fire Department crews responded around 4 a.m. to find the funeral home fully engulfed. Firefighters brought the blaze under control by 5:30 a.m., preventing it from spreading to neighboring businesses.
No one was inside the building during the fire, and no injuries were reported.
Columbia Funeral Home and Crematory, operated by Weeks Funeral Homes, has served the Southeast Seattle community since 1907. The business had held a service the day before the fire, with another scheduled for later this week. Those arrangements will need to be relocated.
The extent of damage to the building remains under assessment. The Seattle Fire Department’s arson investigation unit is reviewing the camera footage and collecting evidence to identify the suspect.
The funeral home sits in the heart of Columbia City’s commercial district along Rainier Avenue South. Local businesses and residents expressed concern about the brazen nature of the crime and its impact on families who rely on the funeral home’s services.
Officials are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact investigators. The targeting of the long-established business has prompted questions about the motive behind the apparent arson.
For families in the area, the fire disrupts access to funeral services that have been available in the neighborhood for more than a century. The investigation continues as the community assesses the loss of this local institution.
