ORLANDO, Fla. – Authorities are investigating a possible serial arsonist in Orlando after four suspicious fires ignited in the last two days.
The fires broke out within 10 miles of each other, all at vacant buildings and homes:
- Saturday, 10:40 a.m. at 1601 E. Colonial Dr.: A car wash burned at a closed-down Chevron gas station
- Saturday, 10:50 a.m. at 5389 Conroy Rd. A utility closet burned at a building under renovation (the future home of a day care), investigators found writing on the wall of the closet
- Saturday, 11:40 a.m. at 737 N. Thornton Ave. some brush/trash burned behind a building
- Sunday around 9 a.m. a duplex burned on Michigan Ct.
"When you have a string like this, it could be just individuals acting out, or it could be a serial arsonist," said Assistant Chief J.R. Saez. "But I would hate to think we have a serial arsonist around because they could step it up to an occupied building-- and that's the last thing we need in this community."
Firefighters said a witness told them they saw someone run from the home on Michigan Ct. when the fire broke out.
On Monday afternoon, workers boarded up the car wash at the Chevron to keep people out, afraid the charred trusses would break and the roof would collapse. Workers said homeless people had been living inside the abandoned car wash.
Students attending classes at Martial Arts World across the street from the car wash recorded the flames and heavy smoke on their cell phones.
"It's very concerning because of the amount of children we had, the amount of people we had, how close we are to the fire," said Master Kirk Pelt, a 7th degree Black Belt. "Somebody out there is doing this, or appears to be doing this, and we're aware of it. What we're trying to do is take precautions and keeping extra security."
Pelt explained that many students were at the school Saturday preparing for an upcoming charity event and discovered the fire as they headed outside for a fundraiser.
"This is getting close to home, so I'm a bit concerned about what's going on in our neighborhood, somebody out there knows something," said Pelt.
The state fire marshal is investigating.
No injuries were reported in the four fires.