LAWRENCE, Kan. — It’s a mystery that started in one Lawrence neighborhood around October 19.
“It’s uncommon, I guess, to have the number of incidents that we have in a period of time,” said Fire Chief Mark Bradford.
Multiple fires — Chief Bradford won’t say how many — have been intentionally set between October 19 and as recently as November 4 at apartment buildings in Lawrence. Police and firefighters say the area they’re focused on is from West 23rd to West 25th Street and from Iowa East to Naismith Drive, where there are multiple apartment buildings.
Bradford says the fires haven’t caused any injuries and while he won’t say how serious the fires were, he hints they weren’t all big fires, but says firmly, that’s not the point.
“It doesn’t take a great deal of smoke, as you know, for a fire alarm to go off,” Bradford said. “Sometimes we weren’t even notified of incidents that occurred.”
However, police and fire officials are concerned that at least one arsonist is out there, and their crimes could escalate.
“Anytime you have multiple people living inside the same structure, then the life hazard goes up or we call it the target hazard,” Bradford said.
If you have any information about the fires, you’re asked to call the TIPS hotline at 785- 843-TIPS.
