Arson
Suspected in 10 P'Town Fires

Three suspicious fires kept firefighters hard at work on Halloween, making a total of 10 such fires in two weeks, according to a story in the Cape Cod Times.

At 9:18 p.m., firefighters were called to a house at 10 Bradford St. and were still on location at press time, the police told the Times. Earlier in the day, a fire was believed set at a house at 2 Commercial St.

The damage has been limited so far because flames have been spotted early by passers-by, or the fires have failed to take off, acting police chief Warren Tobias told the Times. "My concern is that sooner or later they're going to succeed," he said of whoever is responsible for setting the fires.

Last night at the 473 Commercial St. fire, the red flashing lights of the fire trucks lit up the east end waterfront property located between Bangs and Cook streets. A police dog barked in a cruiser, and another one stood quietly next to its master. Police discussed the type of sneaker imprint that was found near the property.

A witness to the fire at 2 Commercial St. produced a description of a middle-aged white man whom police want to question, Tobias said. The man is 5 foot 10, about 45 years old, and has gray hair. He was wearing a white or tan baseball cap, with a white short-sleeve T-shirt, a blue fleece vest, and blue jeans.

Tobias declined to say what type of evidence had been found at the fire to indicate arson. He noted that the earlier fires have all occurred at night..

A grass fire on October 17 in the west end may have been the first in the string of arsons, he said. Among others, a Dumpster fire occurred on October 23 at 81 Province Lands Road, followed by a trash-can fire the same night at West Vine and Commercial streets. Police believe a fire was attempted inside a half-built house on October 26 at 98 Bayberry Ave., Tobias said. Passers-by put out flames later on October 26 on a two-foot square of wooden shingles on the beach side of the West End Racing Club at 81 Commercial St.

If they were deliberately set, the fires could have been the work of more than one person. (The Advocate)