Arson charges dropped against firefighter

Attempted arson charges against a veteran Tukwila fire lieutenant were dismissed last week after another person claimed responsibility for trying to set fire to his house in Mountlake Terrace, the Snohomish County prosecutor’s office said Thursday.

The charge had been filed against Philip Scott Lyons, 48, who is back on the job, Tukwila Fire Chief Nick Olivas said. He was on administrative leave and had been assigned other duties since he was charged.

“We’re very happy about it,” Olivas said. “We’re definitely glad to get him back on shift.”

The charge was dropped after “another person accepted responsibility for the fire,” deputy prosecutor Jim Townsend said. He dismissed the case because someone else claimed responsibility, he said. He declined to identify the person who came forward, and would not say if it was a man or a woman.

“This person made statements to numerous people and statements officially” to Mountlake Terrace Police, Townsend said.

No decision has been made whether that person will be charged, Townsend said…
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