TOLEDO, Ohio - Officials in Toledo have stepped up arson investigation efforts and increased a reward in an attempt to stop a string of fires that has hit more than 30 vacant houses since June.


The city increased the amount of a reward for information to $25,000, about five times that normally offered for crime tips. It also promoted a firefighter to become the fire department's third arson investigator and is asking residents to watch abandoned homes.

The recent fires are part of more than 80 suspected arsons since January, a 37 percent increase over last year.

"These are not individual instances. There is a connection between these fires and we need help in putting an end to them before someone is seriously harmed," said Fire Chief Mike Wolever.

The fires often are found in clusters and are mainly in the east and south areas of the city and more are happening during the day, Wolever said.

"Usually an opportunity to burn something happens at night or very, very early in the morning," he said. "It just seems to me they're getting bolder."

Many of the burned homes are marked by graffiti, sometimes before a fire and sometimes on a structure's remains.

Assistant Fire Chief Luis Santiago said it's possible the "signatures" suggest the fires are gang related.

"But there's other reasons why arson fires occur," he said. "It could be insurance fraud, or it could be as simple as a neighbor not wanting that dilapidated house in the neighborhood anymore."

Among the difficulties presented to investigators is that there is no pattern to the fires.

"It's almost like random acts. Every one is different. Not one is the same," said Toledo Fire Investigator Dale Pelz.

He said clusters of homes are at times set afire minutes apart, occupying fire crews that might be needed for other emergencies and medical runs.

Gail Wahl, an east-side block watch leader, is working with others to find unsecured vacant neighborhood homes that are not on a city registry that lists 675 empty houses. She says there are more than 80 in her group's 14-block area.

Another east-side block watch leader, Tim Allan, said he tries to get bystanders at fires to identify possible suspects.

"Some of the people that I've questioned about the fires were just happy to see the houses gone," he said.

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Information from: The Blade, http://www.toledoblade.com/

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