The builders heavily promoted the "built green" concept and pointed out that the homes were smaller than the 10,000-square-foot houses on previous Street of Dreams tours.
To get the "green" designation, the homes had to sell for less than $2 million and have environmentally friendly elements.
"We are saddened by this senseless act. Such actions to destroy the property of others by this means are criminal and counterproductive," John Heller, president of Seattle Street of Dreams Inc., said in a statement.
Lois Keer, a resident of the Maltby area, walked to where Snohomish County sheriff's deputies blocked the street to see "the shameful thing that happened." With a frightened look on her face, she whispered that it was "odd" and "weird."
Her husband, Loren, seemed concerned about the rapid pace of development in the area, known for its stables and boutique wineries.
"I don't feel sorry for the developer," he said, beginning a long gripe about over-development and "cheap pressboard materials."
As the three homes smoldered under a slate-gray Northwest sky, federal agents searched the surrounding woods. An explosive-sniffing dog combed the area with a fire investigator.
Authorities in the Northwest have been chasing the Earth Liberation Front for years. Prosecutors took an increasingly tougher stand against the group after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The group is a collection of loosely organized cells made up of radical environmentalists and animal rights advocates. Members tend to be young, politically aware and educated.
From 1996 to 2001, the Earth Liberation Front went on a tear throughout the West, setting fires and explosions in a number of states to protest what the group saw as corporate and government complicity in ruining the environment.
The group often left messages like the one near the houses that burned Monday.
Last summer in Eugene, Ore., 11 Earth Liberation Front members were sentenced for a number of attacks, including a bombing at a car dealership.
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stuart.glascock@latimes.com
Staff writer Tomas Alex Tizon in Seattle contributed to this report.
