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Suspicious Fires Frighten Neighbors In Normally Quiet Friendship

Pittsburgh Police, Arson Squad Wonder If Serial Arsonist Is At Work

POSTED: 6:51 am EST November 9, 2009
UPDATED: 12:46 pm EST November 9, 2009

Three suspicious fires -- including two within a short span early Monday morning -- have been set in the quiet Friendship area of Pittsburgh in the past few days.

"It's not much of a coincidence -- probably someone walking home somewhere bored, and just doing things they think are funny and cool, but putting people's lives in danger. I call it cowardly," said Mike Dolan, one of the arson victims.

Video - Watch Amber Nicotra's Report From Friendship

Flames were spotted shortly before 3 a.m. on the front porch of Stephen Annegarn's home in the 5200 block of Friendship Avenue. A garden hose was used to put out the fire.

"It's horrifying," said Annegarn, whose porch is covered in ash, debris and charred furniture. He said his wife and children were sleeping inside when the fire started.

"When something like this happens, when someone doesn't care about other people and other people's safety -- more importantly, other people's children's lives -- it can make you very, very angry," said Annegarn.

While Pittsburgh firefighters were at that home, a neighbor alerted them to another fire around the corner on South Pacific Avenue, where a pile of leaves was burned in front of the home.

It does not appear anyone was living inside the home where the leaves were burning.

The front porch of a home on Friendship Avenue caught fire early Monday morning. Police are calling the fire suspicious.

"These being less than a half a block from each other, we're looking at it might be the same person," said Detective Michael Burns of the Pittsburgh Police Arson Squad. "I don't know what their motive is right now. And we're just trying to follow up on that."

Firefighters also responded to another fire in the area over the weekend. A pile of Halloween decorations was set on fire at a home on South Aiken Avenue.

No injuries were reported in any of the fires.

Anyone with information about any of the fires is asked to contact Pittsburgh police.



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