Key Points
- Prosecutors in King County have charged 29-year-old Vancouver, Washington man Steven C. Sauro with first-degree arson, first-degree malicious mischief, third-degree assault and multiple counts of fourth-degree assault after an incident inside Harborview Medical Center’s emergency department.
- The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office alleges Sauro tried to start a fire in a trauma room after becoming enraged over his planned discharge with only splints for a wrist injury.
- According to charging documents cited by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Will Wixey and other local outlets, Sauro allegedly broke an oxygen valve or line, gathered gauze and paper and attempted to ignite them with a lighter, creating a risk of explosion.
- Security staff at Harborview intervened, extinguishing a smouldering fire of embers and burned paper in a container or wastebasket before it could spread, and removed two lighters recovered from Sauro.
- Hospital officials estimate the damage to the oxygen system alone at more than 100,000 dollars, with a full assessment pending a technical evaluation, while the trauma room itself was described as “destroyed” in court-related reporting.
- Prosecutors say Sauro allegedly yelled at nurses, threw items, kicked security guards and medical staff, and repeatedly spat at nurses, security and police officers, leading officers to place a spit hood over his head during the restraint.
- Nurses ultimately sedated Sauro after he allegedly continued shouting, rocking the hospital bed and saying he wanted to kill himself, according to details drawn from court records by KOMO News and other outlets.
- The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office requested and obtained 250,000 dollars bail, citing both the risk posed by the alleged oxygen-related fire and Sauro’s criminal history and open warrants.
- Prosecutors highlighted a National Institutes of Health article noting more than 200 deaths worldwide linked to oxygen-related hospital fires since March 2020, underscoring the potential danger of the alleged conduct.
- Sauro remains in custody and is scheduled to be arraigned on 24 February at King County Courthouse, where he is expected to enter an initial plea.
- According to FOX 13 Seattle and AOL’s report by Will Wixey, prosecutors say Sauro had three active warrants at the time of the incident and a record that includes recent misdemeanour charges for harassment, property destruction and assault.
- Media outlets reporting on the charging documents note that Sauro has an arrest history in Florida and Massachusetts and previous convictions for grand theft auto, battery and malicious mischief.
- Earlier coverage of the initial arrest described police being called to Harborview around mid-morning after reports of a trashed trauma room, fire in the emergency department and assaults on hospital staff.
- Hospital and law enforcement officials have not reported any patients or staff being seriously injured in the incident, but emphasise the scale of the property damage and potential threat to life from an oxygen-fed blaze.
- The case has renewed local focus on safety in emergency departments, the risks of oxygen-system damage and the management of agitated patients with existing criminal records.
Seattle (King County Insider) February 22, 2026 – A 29-year-old Vancouver man, identified by prosecutors as Steven C. Sauro, has been charged with arson, assault and malicious mischief after authorities allege he destroyed a trauma room, damaged an oxygen system and tried to start a fire inside Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, risking a potentially catastrophic explosion.
How did the incident at Harborview Medical Center unfold, according to prosecutors?
As reported by KOMO News staff at KOMO-TV, citing King County charging documents, Sauro arrived at Harborview’s emergency department on the night of 14 February seeking treatment for injuries to his wrists. Hospital staff told investigators he became enraged when informed he would be discharged with splints rather than receiving further treatment, and he allegedly began throwing items around the trauma room.
According to the narrative described by Will Wixey of FOX 13 Seattle and repeated in AOL’s coverage, security personnel then shut the doors and contained Sauro in the room to keep him separated from other patients and staff. Court documents summarised by KOMO News state that at some point Sauro allegedly broke an oxygen valve or line, gathered gauze and paper, and attempted to ignite them using a lighter. Prosecutors say security staff re-entered the room after realising he had damaged the oxygen system and was trying to start a fire, extinguishing a smouldering blaze of embers and burned paper in a container or wastebasket before it could spread.
KOMO News reports that an employee recovered two Bic lighters from Sauro and removed the container holding the fire remnants from the hospital. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, as quoted in multiple outlets, alleges that Sauro’s actions in breaking the oxygen equipment and trying to ignite flammable material in a confined hospital room created a substantial risk of an oxygen-fuelled explosion.
What do court documents and officials say about the alleged assaults on staff and security?
As detailed by KOMO News journalists drawing on court records, hospital staff told investigators that as security moved to restrain Sauro, he allegedly kicked and spat at nurses and security guards who were trying to hold him down. In the account provided by KOMO, an emergency room technician reported being struck in the face with saliva, while a security guard managed to avoid being spat on but was kicked during the struggle.
KOMO’s review of the charging papers further notes that officers placed a spit hood, sometimes called a spit sock, over Sauro after he allegedly continued to spit toward officers and staff even while restrained. According to that same account, authorities say Sauro also kicked a registered nurse and a separate security guard during the incident. In coverage by KOMO and National Today summarising the documents, Sauro was heard yelling that he wanted to kill himself, and after being secured to a bed he allegedly rocked it with such force that staff feared it might tip over.
Journalists at KOMO report that nurses ultimately administered a sedative to calm Sauro once he had been restrained on the hospital bed. FOX 13 Seattle’s report notes that police then arrested Sauro at the hospital, and he was later booked into custody on suspicion of arson, assault and malicious mischief while prosecutors prepared formal charges.
What damage was caused to Harborview’s facilities and oxygen system?
As reported by KOMO News, citing the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and hospital staff, the trauma room at Harborview’s emergency department was heavily damaged during the incident and required significant clean-up and repairs. In a separate article on the initial arrest, KOMO journalists describe court documents that detail how Sauro allegedly trashed the trauma room prior to the reported damage to the oxygen equipment and attempted fire-setting.
According to figures included in the charging documents and relayed by FOX 13 Seattle and AOL’s coverage, officials at Harborview estimate that repairing the oxygen system alone will cost more than 100,000 dollars. KOMO notes that staff told prosecutors a final estimate would not be available until a technician could fully evaluate the damage to the valve and line.
KOMO’s article also states that charging papers reference a National Institutes of Health article indicating that more than 200 deaths worldwide have been linked to oxygen-related hospital fires since March 2020. Prosecutors, as paraphrased by KOMO, used that citation to emphasise how dangerous an oxygen-fed explosion or fire can be in a healthcare setting, even though in this case security staff were able to extinguish the blaze before it spread beyond the immediate container.
What charges is Steven C. Sauro facing and how have prosecutors framed the case?
As reported by KOMO News, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Sauro with one count of first-degree arson, one count of first-degree malicious mischief, one count of third-degree assault and three counts of fourth-degree assault. In the related FOX 13 Seattle and AOL piece by Will Wixey, the charging language is described as first-degree arson, third-degree assault, four counts of fourth-degree assault and first-degree malicious mischief, reflecting slightly different breakdowns of the lower-level assault counts as described in various summaries.
KOMO’s reporting explains that prosecutors argue Sauro “knowingly and maliciously” caused damage to Harborview’s property and created a danger to human life by allegedly attempting to ignite materials in the presence of an oxygen line. National Today’s write-up notes that police responded to the hospital on the morning following the initial arrival after being informed that a prolific offender had allegedly trashed the trauma room, started a fire and attacked staff, facts that later formed the basis of the formal felony charges.
According to KOMO, the prosecutor’s office highlighted Sauro’s behaviour toward hospital staff and security in its bail request, arguing that his alleged conduct demonstrated both a disregard for the safety of others and a risk of reoffending. FOX 13 Seattle and AOL report that Sauro is formally accused of assaulting multiple individuals, including nurses, security guards and responding officers, during the incident inside the emergency department.
What is known about Sauro’s criminal history and outstanding warrants?
As reported by Will Wixey of FOX 13 Seattle and mirrored in AOL’s coverage, prosecutors told the court that Sauro had three active warrants for his arrest at the time of the Harborview incident. In that reporting, Sauro is also said to have been recently charged in separate misdemeanour cases with harassment, property destruction and assault.
FOX 13 Seattle’s article, as carried on AOL, states that prosecutors described Sauro as having an arrest history in Florida and Massachusetts and previous convictions for grand theft auto, battery and malicious mischief. National Today’s brief on the case similarly refers to Sauro as a prolific offender, citing those prior convictions as part of his background.
Local coverage by KOMO and other outlets emphasises that prosecuting lawyers pointed to this prior record in arguing for a high bail figure, presenting Sauro’s history and alleged conduct at Harborview as evidence that he presents a significant public safety risk if released. At this stage, there is no indication in the reporting that Sauro or a representative has publicly responded in detail to the historical characterisation presented by prosecutors.
What bail was set and what happens next in court?
As KOMO News reports, a judge in King County Superior Court set Sauro’s bail at 250,000 dollars following the prosecutor’s request, which drew heavily on the alleged risk created by the oxygen-related fire and his past criminal history. FOX 13 Seattle notes that Sauro “remains in custody after a judge set bail at 250,000 dollars,” indicating that he has not posted bond as of the latest public information.
KOMO’s coverage says Sauro is expected to be arraigned at the King County Courthouse, with charging documents listing the arraignment date as the morning of 24 February. FOX 13 Seattle and AOL likewise state that Sauro’s next court date is scheduled for Tuesday, 24 February, when he will formally enter an initial plea of guilty or not guilty to the charges.
According to National Today, that arraignment hearing will mark the point at which the court sets future deadlines and hearing dates in the case, including potential pretrial motions and any subsequent trial schedule, though those details have not yet been laid out in the media reports. At this stage, the reporting from KOMO, FOX 13 Seattle, AOL and other outlets does not indicate that a trial date has been set, and no plea has yet been entered on the public record.
How have officials contextualised the risk from oxygen-related fires in hospitals?
KOMO News, citing the King County charging documents, reports that prosecutors included a reference to a National Institutes of Health article noting more than 200 deaths worldwide attributed to oxygen-related hospital fires since March 2020. As paraphrased in KOMO’s story, this reference was used to underline the inherent danger of any incident in which oxygen systems are damaged and flammable materials are ignited in a clinical setting.
Although security staff and hospital employees at Harborview succeeded in extinguishing the reported fire in a waste container before it spread, KOMO’s reporting makes clear that prosecutors view the alleged conduct as having posed a serious risk both to Sauro and to others in the emergency department. No serious injuries have been reported in the coverage by KOMO, FOX 13 Seattle, AOL or National Today, but all emphasise the scale of the property damage and the potential for a far more severe outcome had the oxygen system ignited.
