SPOKANE, Wash. — A man has been arrested after authorities say he started a fire in a vacant lot behind a Dairy Queen on Francis Street, prompting a swift response from both firefighters and concerned community members.
Matthew Robinson, 35, was identified and arrested by the Sheriff’s Office. He faces a charge of first-degree arson and had his bail set at $10,000 during a court appearance today.
Security camera footage captured the moments leading up to the fire. The video shows a man walking away from the field. Less than a minute later, smoke began rising from the lot, followed by large flames shooting up a fence directly behind the fire.
Ryan Kerrigan, who owns the Dairy Queen adjacent to where the fire started, reviewed the security footage. He said the vacant lot has been a persistent problem for the community.
“Almost every single night there’s stuff on the cameras. People coming through people in camps I’m constantly fixing spray paint that’s on our building,” Kerrigan said.
When the fire broke out, employees at Luxe Salon, located on the same street, sprang into action. Several clients were in the middle of hair appointments when the fire started. One stylist immediately went to a nearby home to warn residents of the danger while another called 911.
“My client and I were worried about the people in the house right there so we were like we should go and just make sure they’re out of their house so luckily we went over there and ran up and rang the doorbell and they answered the door and we made sure they knew there was a fire in their backyard,” said Melissa Hallenbeck, a stylist at Luxe Salon.
The salon’s staff has taken additional steps to address safety concerns in the area. Employees report suspicious activity to Crime Check on a weekly basis.
Stephanie Walker, who lives down the street, expressed similar concerns about the neighborhood’s trajectory.
“It doesn’t seem like it’s getting any better in this area. It’s just getting worse and what I mean worse is like the incident that happened yesterday at Dairy Queen,” Walker said.
Despite the incident, people in the community said they are thankful their homes and businesses are safe.
COPYRIGHT 2026 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
