Arson Destroys Home In Lake Forest Park

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By By KOMO Staff

Summary

The fire spread rapidly through the house early Friday morning, but everyone inside managed to get out safely.

Story Published: Aug 6, 2004 at 2:19 AM PDT

Story Updated: Jul 24, 2009 at 11:43 AM PDT

Arson Destroys Home In Lake Forest Park
KING COUNTY - An early-morning fire destroyed a home in the Lake Forest Park area on Friday, displacing a family of three who escaped the burning home uninjured.

Investigators are calling it arson.

The fire started near the front door of the house in the 3500 block of NE 190th Place just before 1:00 a.m. and quickly spread to the rest of the structure.

By the time firefighters arrived, large sections of the home were already engulfed in flame, forcing fire crews to fight the blaze from the outside.

"Our neighbors called the fire department and everybody got out okay, that's what counts," said Scott Giampino, who was asleep inside the home when the fire started. Giampino's wife and 3-year-old son, Max, raced out the back door while he climbed out a window. The family's two cats died in the fire.

"It's highly frustrating. We worked for years to get to this house," said Giampino. "We had it pretty much the way we wanted it, and now it's all gone."

Giampino is angry and wants to see the culprit caught. It's attempted murder, it's not only arson," he said.

The family has insurance and says they'll be able to recover from the fire.

Seattle Fire Department arson investigators have been called in to assist with the investigation.

"We certainly want their assistance given the recent rash of arsons that have been occurring," said Northshore Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim Osgood. "We are concerned about the cause and the origin of the fire."

Osgood says that there is nothing yet to indicate that Friday's fire is connected to the arsons in Seattle, but that it is something that needs to be checked.

The ATF has formed an arson task force to pull together the investigation. It will include Seattle Police and Fire, King County and now Lake Forest Park Police. The reward for information is now at $38,000.