Spokane fire investigators solve two arson cases | News

Spokane fire investigators said they have solved two cases.

The investigators said James Caraker, 20, is in the Spokane County Jail in connection to a fire in West Central Spokane in early November. The fire was set at a house near Elm Street and Gardner Avenue. Investigators said someone threw a burning towel inside the back door while many of the people inside were sleeping.

Police originally thought the fire was a hate crime, causing the Joint Terrorism Task Force to join in the investigation.

Caraker is charged with first degree arson.

Investigators also said they solved a case that was more than a year old. In August 2011, arsonists torched a wooden playground in the Shadle neighborhood. According to investigators, the people behind that crime was Nicholas Brinton, 21, and an unidentified 16-year-old boy.

Brinton is already in the Spokane County Jail for an unrelated burglary charge. He is now charged with second degree arson. The 16-year-old boy is booked into the juvenile detention center.