Kent woman is held in fire at her home

Kent Fire Department investigators say a 28-year-old Kent woman set her house on fire with a candle Tuesday morning while her husband and young son were sleeping inside.

She woke up her husband, and all three escaped through a window without major injuries, officials said.

The woman was arrested Tuesday night, jailed and ordered held on $500,000 bail, said Kent Fire Capt. Kyle Ohashi. King County prosecutors said they are considering whether to charge her with arson.

The woman told police she has been under the care of a psychiatrist for several months, according to court documents filed by the Kent Fire Department.

The woman is not being named because she has not been charged.

The fire was reported at about 12:50 a.m. Tuesday in the 25600 block of 100th Place Southeast.

After the fire was put out, Kent fire investigator Mark Jones became suspicious after examining the one-story rambler and talking to the couple, according to court documents.

Jones believes that after the family went to bed, the woman used a small candle to light the curtains in her son's room and the living room, then lit the couch, the documents said.

When the fire started to grow out of control, she woke her husband, officials said; her husband grabbed their son and tried to put the fire out with a garden hose. The fire caused $200,000 in damage.

Investigators also believe the woman spray-painted graffiti on a sidewalk in front of her house earlier Tuesday then filed a false police report accusing someone else of doing it.

The woman's husband is not part of the criminal investigation, Ohashi said.

Michael Ko: 206-515-5653 or mko@seattletimes.com