Thursday, October 25, 2012
Staff report
YOUNGSTOWN
Investigators are still trying to determine who kept firefighters busy Wednesday with three arsons.
The fires were set almost simultaneously in one South Side neighborhood.
The fire department received the first of three calls for fires on Lennox and Sheridan avenues before 7:30 a.m.
Ultimately, crews battled two fires on Lennox and one on Sheridan.
The first call came in for a fire at an abandoned home on Sheridan about 7:10 a.m.
While crews were busy with that blaze, a call came in at 7:26 a.m. for a fire at an abandoned house on Lennox.
Firefighters were sent to Sheridan about 8 a.m. for another fire at an abandoned home.
Fire Chief John J. O’Neill Jr. said all three fires appear suspicious.
“It appears these were all arsons. All three were vacant houses on the South Side,” he said. “They will all likely be demolished real soon. None of them were salvageable.”
O’Neill said investigators are looking into the matter and do have leads as to what may have taken place, but no arrests had been made and no suspects named as of late Wednesday.
O’Neill said crews had a little trouble keeping the fire from spreading to neighboring buildings, but there was no other damage reported.