Whatcom man with prior reckless burning convictions allegedly tries to set home on fire
A Whatcom County man previously convicted on two counts of reckless burning for a 2019 incident in which he twice attempt to set fire to a home under construction using Molotov cocktails has been arrested again on suspicion of arson.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office booked Landon Lee Larson, 32 of Blaine, into Whatcom County Jail Tuesday, June 21, on suspicion of first-degree arson, obstructing and violation of a protection order. Jail records show Larson is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
At approximately 9:30 p.m. Monday, June 20, deputies were called to the report of an arson in the 6900 block of Holeman Avenue in Blaine, sheriff’s office spokesperson Deb Slater told The Bellingham Herald in an email. A witness reported seeing Larson light a family member’s trailer on fire.
The fire had been extinguished before deputies arrived, Slater reported.
Deputies learned that the owner saw Larson walking toward his own home and believed Larson was angry at her, according to Slater. Additional witnesses also reported seeing the trailer burning and saw Larson walking away with a lighter in his hand.
Those witnesses attempted to stop Larson, Slater reported, and during a resulting scuffle, Larson dropped his cell phone, which deputies later confirmed belonged to him.
Deputies attempted to speak to Larson at his home less than a half-mile away, according to Slater, but they received no response from their attempts to contact Larson for more than three hours. After deputies obtained a warrant for his home, Larson exited the home and was arrested without any further incident.
Whatcom County Superior Court documents show that on Jan. 9, 2020, Larson pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless burning and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and a year of probation after he was released.
As previously reported by The Herald in 2019, the sheriff’s office was called on Aug. 12 to investigate a suspected arson to a home under construction in the 5300 block of Ocean Cove Lane, according to undersheriff Doug Chadwick.
The fire reportedly started when vodka bottles containing an accelerant were ignited and thrown against exterior plywood walls and into a covered porch area of the house, damaging the exterior wall and scorching the porch.
Three days later, deputies were once again called to the house after a second arson attempt, Chadwick said. This time, an accelerant was reportedly applied to a wall inside the covered porch and lit on fire, damaging the wall, rafters and plumbing.
The victim had installed trail cameras near a walking trail behind the house, and in reviewing the footage, Chadwick said he identified a possible suspect as Larson, who lived nearby.
Court records show Larson also is scheduled to stand trial Aug. 29 on a theft of a motor vehicle charge from November of 2021.
This story was originally published June 22, 2022 at 8:10 AM.
