Arrest made in Port Angeles residential fire

Published 1:30 am Friday, March 29, 2019

PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles police officers have arrested a woman for investigation of felony arson in the fourplex fire at Serenity House of Clallam County’s Evergreen Family Village that left three families homeless.

The blaze was reported at 9:10 a.m. Friday and was declared under control at 9:28 a.m. No one was home at the time and no one was injured, according to authorities.

Denise K. Kovacevic, 40, was in custody at the Clallam County jail with no bail set Saturday. Her first appearance in Superior Court is set for 1 p.m. Monday.

Officers were seeking Kovacevic after she was seen leaving the apartment building at 2203 W. 18th St., just prior to the blaze, said Cpl. Sky Sexton.

Also, Sexton said, the location where the fire started — in the living room of one of the units — “isn’t generally where an accidental fire would be set.”

She was found at a family member’s home at about noon Friday, according to the initial police report, Sexton said.

During an interview with a detective, “she admitted setting the fire, but gave off a lot of indications of mental health issues,” which officers hope will be explored during the process, Sexton said.

Capt. Terry Reid of the Port Angeles Fire Department said Friday that the extent of damage was unknown.

Reid said a sprinkler system activated immediately after the fire started.

“It was really under control by the time we got there,” he said.

Reid said an administrator at Serenity House was coordinating efforts to rehouse the three families who were displaced by the fire.

The administrator was not available for comment Friday.