By admin 
Former NFL player and Tacoma resident Desmond Trufant doesn’t think the Tuesday morning fire at one of his properties was an accident.
Read more Driver caught going 101 mph killed a student in a 113-mph crash just 2 months later
Trufant, standing near the front gate of his property 7517 N. 10th St. in Tacoma, Washington, which is a rental property for events with a view of Puget Sound and the Tacoma Narrows bridges, told The News Tribune he got the call about the fire around 6 a.m. Tuesday.
He said the cause of the fire is still being investigated, but he believes it was intentional.
“I think somebody set the house on fire,” he told The News Tribune.
Joe Meinecke, spokesperson for the Tacoma Fire Department, told The News Tribune crews were dispatched to the scene at about 6:15 a.m. He said the fire spread to the attic area, and it took about 20 minutes to put out. The home is not a total loss — though there is a “pretty significant amount” of smoke damage, Meinecke said.
No one was injured.
Meinecke said the cause is under investigation. The News Tribune asked Meinecke about Trufant’s belief the fire was intentional, and Meinecke said TFD would look into that as part of its investigation and involve the Tacoma Police Department if there is suspected arson.
Trufant, who played football at Wilson High School in Tacoma, the University of Washington and then in the NFL, said he believes someone started the process a couple of days ago.
“There was some foul play, as far as like gas was turned on at my property that I didn’t turn on, or my property management team didn’t turn on, as far as like the barbecue grill and outdoor fire pits and stuff like that. So, clearly, somebody was prepping for something. And then two days later, you know, this happens.”
Read more $15 slot bet on ‘Attack from the Planet Moolah’ wins gambler $410,631, casino says
Trufant said he believes another property he owns in Lakewood was also targeted. He said he has security footage of people walking around the property at 1 a.m. Tuesday carrying propane tanks.
“So clearly, somebody’s targeting me,” he told The News Tribune. “So, I’m on here to let you know, I’m going to find out who you are and what’s good with you.”
Trufant’s North 10th Street property — the one that caught fire on Tuesday morning — has been in the news before. Neighbors have complained for years about the property, which can be rented for hosting events. Neighbors complained about the noisy functions and late-night parties at the house, detailed in a 2024 story in The News Tribune.
“I’m not blaming nobody. I don’t know who’s done it, but, you know, when you put out that negative energy, when you put lies out, you give life to something negative,” Trufant said on Tuesday. “And that’s where everything’s rooted from — from years ago when I’m just, you know, a kid from Tacoma doing business, you know what I mean?”
Trufant said he’d like to turn the destruction into something positive.
“It’s sad, but at the same time, I just want to let people know it’s not going to stop nothing,” he said. “I’m going to remodel it. I’m going to upgrade it, and it’s going to be even more beautiful.
“So, something that was meant to literally burn my house down or potentially kill somebody if somebody was there, it’s going to turn into something positive. You know, it’s God’s plan at the end of the day, and I believe, uh, He’s going to turn this into good for sure.”
Read more PG&E more than doubles potential power shutoffs to 70,000 customers in California