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Girard blazes called arson
Girard
More than two weeks after two vacant house fires, Fire Chief Ken Bornemiss says both were arsons.
“It’s pretty cut and dry that they were started by a human,” Bornemiss said.
Both fires began July 27. The first, at 430 Market St., began just after midnight, and the second, at 118 Lizzie St., began at 8 p.m.
Because neither house had working utilities and darker burn spots were found inside the houses, he ruled arson as the cause.
Bornemiss said some type of accelerant was used but did not know what kind.
Police have not arrested any suspects, and some say not knowing exactly how the fires started weakens a potential prosecution.
“You can still charge somebody, but it weakens the case,” said Youngstown fire investigator Capt. Alvin Ware.
Warren fire investigator Trevor Robinson said once fire and police officials leave the scene of a fire, they cannot go back to collect samples for evidence because of possible tampering.
He said 99 percent of the time the investigator can identify the accelerant used because the wood absorbs it or it rises to the surface of the water from the firefighter’s hoses.
Outside of fatal fires, the State Fire Marshal’s Office said it is up to the discretion of the local fire officials as to whether to have evidence tested for accelerants.
Meanwhile, some residents of Market Street are still on edge and find sleeping through a whole night difficult.
“I wake in the middle of the night and check my backyard,” said Josephine Bach. Next to her backyard, the collapsed structure of the Lizzie Street home is charred black and gray. She said neighbors are forced to watch one another’s homes while others are away.
“I’m scared to go anywhere,” Bach said.
She installed motion sensor lights all around her home, the largest facing her backyard, which dips down toward railroad tracks. She hopes one day the city installs a fence that would prevent people from coming up the tracks.
Joseph Christopher, who posted a black and orange no-trespassing sign on his porch after the fires, lives across the street from where the two fires took place. Since the fires, he is often up late peering out his window at the sound of voices.
While police follow leads, rumors are prevalent in the tight neighborhood that is tucked under the north side of Interstate 80. Residents such as Christopher claim to know who started the fire and gave police information.
City police Capt. John Norman said the neighbors gave investigators many different names of potential culprits in the case. “We have gotten a lot of information and are working on several leads,” Norman said.