Gus Jones, 82, told KIRO 7 he had just gotten off the bus at Third Avenue and Union Street when a man he'd never seen before started pouring lighter fluid on him. Jones fought the man off with his cane before he could pull a lighter out of his pocket.

"I called that man everything but the child of God," said Gus Jones. "I hit him, bent my new cane."

In the struggle, Jones fell down then looked up to see the attacker squirting lighter fluid on two women.

The women, ages 41 and 35, had their hair set on fire but the fires were quickly extinguished by witnesses who used their coats to smother the flames.

Police said a 50-year-old Seattle man, Paul Pearson, was quickly arrested on suspicion of assault. He is expected to appear in court Thursday afternoon.

Pearson was convicted of criminal trespass and property destruction in 2001 and theft in 1998 and has been arrested numerous times.