VANCOUVER, Wash. — Police arrested a man who they believe set his home on fire and assaulted a neighbor Monday afternoon in Vancouver.
Allan T. McCall, 59, was arrested for first-degree assault. The arson investigation is ongoing.
Vancouver police originally responded at 4:20 p.m. to reports that McCall assaulted a neighbor and set his home, on West 19th Street near Markle Avenue, on fire. There were also reports that McCall was armed, but police have not confirmed.
Because police believed McCall could be armed, officers set up a perimeter and firefighters were kept at a safe distance, Vancouver police said. Neighboring homes were also evacuated.
When firefighters arrived at the home, it was fully involved in the fire. Crews worked to protect neighboring homes while hiding behind engines to stay safe. The fire was brought under control within 25 minutes of crews arriving on scene.
Once the smoke and fire danger was diminished, a Vancouver K-9 was deployed and found McCall hiding in the yard of the home, which was not burning. He was then taken into custody.