PITTSBURGH -- Some residents who live in Pittsburgh's Sheraden neighborhood are worried that a serial arsonist is on the loose, after fire crews were called to battle another blaze Tuesday morning.
Traffic Pulse cameras showed the fire, which broke out at a building in the 2700 block of Merwyn Avenue just before 6 a.m.
"Everything we had is gone. Everything," said Robert Brewer of the home he shared with his fiancée and brother. "Worked hard just had place repainted upstairs. New living room and everything was nice and new. It's all gone now."
"Whatever it was, it was definitely intentional. And it's just ridiculous that, you know, arson's going on in the neighborhood like this," said B'Jay Riehle, who lives in the home next door that was also damaged by the flames.
Detectives told Channel 4 Action News the fire started on the home's back porch and they're sure it was no accident.
"In 9, 10 days we've had two fires that damaged four houses that were both set on the back porches of these houses," said Detective Michael Burns of the Pittsburgh Arson Squad.
On June 6, two homes burned on the same street. Just two days before that, on June 4, another home burned in the same area on Wyckoff Avenue.
Fire investigators said all of the recent fires have been determined to be arson.
"It's scary. It's really scary. I have a 75-year-old mother. That if that had been my house, I would never have been able to get her out alive," said Marjorie Douty, who lives in the neighborhood.
"We definitely need some type of neighborhood watch. This is just ridiculous," said Quay Simmons, another area resident.
Pittsburgh City Council member Theresa Smith said she plans to take the matter up with the city.
"I would like to get a meeting together sometime next week with the residents, with the mayor's office, with director of public safety to address these concerns," Smith said.
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