PITTSBURGH -- Two more homes in Pittsburgh's Sheraden neighborhood have burned and police are investigating whether the fire is the work of an arsonist.
A number of homes have been damaged or destroyed in the past month by what investigators believe is a serial arsonist. Two other suspicious fires, one set near a fence and another that damaged a garage, have also been blamed on arson.
The latest fire started around 2 a.m. Monday morning in the back of a vacant home in the 3000 block of Merwyn Avenue. Channel 4 Action News' Ari Hait reported the fire spread very quickly to the home next door. Four children and one adult were asleep inside, but all were able to escape the flames.
"You heard all type of popping. And then the fire department came and you heard them breaking the glass in the back," said neighbor Marion Griffin.
"A lot of smoke. A lot of smoke. I heard a lot of glass being broke," said area resident Ann Czajkowski.
"I seen a big flame shooting up from the back of the house," said another man, who saw the fire.
The city of Pittsburgh has started demolishing vacant homes in that part of the city. The city plans to demolish a total of 16 abandoned houses in the area. Four homes were knocked down last week.
Police still don't have any suspects in the fires deliberately set in the area, which started June 6.
Monday's fire was the fifth one on Merwyn Avenue. Some of the people who live on the street told Hait they're afraid for their lives.
"It's very frightening. Words can't describe," said Griffin.
"I'm afraid to go to work. Because what's going to happen? I come home from work and then I have nothing. So I'm very afraid," another resident told Hait.
I don't like this. I really don't. I'm scared," said Czajkowski.
While no one was hurt in the latest fire, both fire officials and neighbors in the area told Channel 4 Action News they're worried it's only a matter of time before their luck runs out.
Some suggestions for dealing with the situation include forming a block watch and providing smoke detectors for every home. But neighbors Hait spoke with said only an arrest will let them sleep at night.
"There's still a lot of vacant homes on this street. Hope they catch him soon," said Griffin.
Investigators have not officially labeled the latest fire as arson, but arson detectives are at the scene of the latest fire.
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