SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A man was arrested for setting the Motel 6 on North Hutchinson Road in Spokane Valley on fire Sunday morning.
According to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, 35-year-old Christopher M. Welch set the fire at around 7 a.m. on May 24.
At least two people were treated for smoke inhalation, but no one was injured in the fire.
The Sheriff’s Office says Welch claimed someone was trying to kill him and they would not let him leave the room. Deputies said Welch’s story was inconsistent and hard to follow.
Welch denied setting the fire and told deputies he was scared for his life.
Witnesses said Welch was the person staying in the room where the fire is believed to have started.
The Sheriff’s Office says after the fire was started, Welch was seen throwing a green propane torch out of a second-floor window before jumping out of the same window.
Welch was arrested and booked into Spokane County Jail for 12 counts of arson and one count of felony malicious mischief.
The motel owners said the fire damage is estimated to cost $500,000 or more.
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