Residents fearful as arsons increase; authorities look to community for tips
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By NICOLE ESTAPHAN
Story Created:
Jul 8, 2008 at 8:40 AM EST
Story Updated:
Jul 8, 2008 at 8:40 AM EST
UTICA - Four fires break out in less than an hour of one another this past weekend. At least three have now been ruled incendiary...one is considered suspicious. And for neighbors - an uneasy time.
The first fire on Oneida Street, then Hobart Street and finally Court Street - the latter fully engulfing that home - although the residents -one of them wheel chair bound - escaped unharmed.
Then, the fire department learned of a fourth fire - this one was at 7 Clinton Place.
And even though that fire burned itself out, investigators believe it was started in the same time period as the first three.
That brings the number of incendiary fires in the city so far this year to 23.
Neighbors near the Court Street fire are concerned, especially since that fire was one of those intentionally set.
Some residents voiced concern that something like this could happen in their own backyards, and question why anyone would intentionally light a fire - especially to a building with people inside.
"All of a sudden everything just went into blazes," said Marshall Jenkins, who lives on Court Street.
Neighbors of the Court Street fire that left a four apartment residence completely destroyed are still reeling about what happened, and now that the blaze has been ruled incendiary, one of three determined as such in one hour alone, concern has been sparked.
"If it can happen next door it can happen here," Jenkins said.
And it is happening at an increasing rate throughout the city - an eerie reminder of the late 1990's when the Arson Task Force came in to knock down the number of fires. Utica had the highest arson rate in the country at the time.
And residents say with every fire intentionally lit, they fear for their own homes.
"It's very, very intimidating because no matter what matter part of the city you go to you have to worry about situations like that...people get angry people get homeless. To me, it's just really, really out of control," said Jenkins.
But control is what the city is trying to gain back with the newly committed arson task force. But they need neighbors like Jenkins to help out.
"They are our ears and eyes when we are not there," said Public Safety Commissioner Daniel LaBella. "So we encourage residents if they see anything - to not hesitate to call."
The task force is working on leads, but as of now, there are no official suspects - in this fire or the others.
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