Prosecutors: Man charged with arson after trying to set homeless camp on fire

SEATTLE — A man has been charged with setting a Seattle homeless camp on fire and spraying gasoline on its occupants.

According to court documents, 56-year old Mark Wayne Swanson has had an ongoing feud with residents of a homeless camp at Northeast 68th Street and Weedin Place Northeast, near I-5, in the Green Lake neighborhood.

Swanson lives in a nearby apartment owned by the Seattle Housing Authority and has a history of "committing assaults against neighbors," according to prosecutors.

Last week, Swanson tried to set the encampment on fire, according to charging documents.

Swanson, who has felony convictions for assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of stolen property, lit a canopy umbrella on fire was attached to tents in the camp, documents said.

A resident of the camp told police there were two women, three men and a dog in the tents when the canopy was lit on fire and that Swanson told her, “You are all going up in flames, all your stuff is going up in flames, the tree is going up in flames and you are all going to burn,” probable cause documents said.

Documents said Swanson then left and returned a few minutes later with a plastic container filled with gasoline.

The witness told police Swanson threw gasoline on their tarps, tents and onto the residents at the camp.

He was later arrested.

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