Suspicious fires under investigation in Charleston

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A string of vacant structure fires occurring within a month's time are under investigation in Charleston.

About 12:25 a.m. Monday, the Charleston Department of Public Safety was called to a fire at a vacant residence at 605 W. Commercial St., according to department chief Robert Hearnes.

"The structure was fully engulfed when we arrived, and my hunch would be it had a little help to get it started," Hearnes said, adding the structure had no electricity or gas hooked up to it.

The department was on the scene about four hours, and no one was injured fighting the blaze, Hearnes said.

Monday's fire was the third vacant structure fire within a month in Charleston, the police chief said. All the fires are suspected arson, and the structures are near each other, Hearnes said. The first fire occurred March 27 at 105 N. Elm St., and the second April 15 at 507 W. Commercial St.

"Actually the one at 507 West Commercial was set on fire on March 28 but didn't do a lot of damage. They came back on April 15" and destroyed it, Hearnes said of the structure.

"If anyone has any information about any of these incidents, give us a call," Hearnes said.

No suspect is in custody for these incidents, he said.

"That's the bad thing about arson cases," Hearnes said. "It's easy to prove arson. It's just hard to prove who did it."

Anyone with information regarding the fires should call the department at 573-683-3737.

Pertinent address:

Charleston, MO