Police have arrested one suspect in regards to a series of arsons that have plagued downtown Renton since May.

There have been eight suspected arsons in the downtown and South Renton neighborhoods since May, including a fire at the Church of Grace at the Ukrainian Community Center on Hardie Avenue Southwest that cause more than $1 million in damage.

The individual arrested admitted involvement in one of the eight fires that have struck the area, though police said he may not be charged because the fire he was involved with may or may not have been intentionally set.

According to Det. Steve Morris, the suspect, an 80-year-old man admitted to being involved in a tree fire near Main Street and Well Street, but there is no evidence he is connected with the other fires.

“He’s not suspected to be the arsonist we’re trying to find,” Morris said.

Morris said the man was using a butane torch to burn weeds in a parking lot when the torch got too hot, prompting him to set it down, as which time a tree near where it was placed caught fire.

Morris said some witnesses told police the tree fire appeared intentional, but it was difficult to show.

Fire Chief Mark Peterson discussed the fires during Monday’s Committee of the Whole briefing on emerging issues in the city’s Fire and Emergency Services Department.

Peterson said between May 1 and June 21 eight fires were intentionally set downtown, including the fire at the Ukrainian church. Peterson said police are investigating all of the fires, including working through all available video of the area.

Peterson said witnesses saw two youths running from the church fire and a homeless person is suspected in two fires in the 300 block of Sunset. Peterson said fire investigators believe four of the other fires are related.

Most of the fires have been started among debris and brush located near the buildings. All of the fires are still being investigated.

“We’re still in the same place we were before,” Morris said.