Suspicious fires not always 'arson'

Though a dozen fires in and around Cape Girardeau in the past six months have been labeled as "arsons" on the city police department's website, it's doubtful those cases will result in criminal convictions, according to the city's fire marshal.

Greg Hecht of Cape Girardeau Fire Department said proving arson includes intent to do harm, and few suspicious fires lead investigators to discover evidence of harmful intent.

Suspicious fires may well be accidental, such as those started when trespassers let a heating fire or candle used for illumination get out of control. Lit cigarettes are also likely culprits in some fires when no utility service or natural first-starting phenomenon, such as lightning, is present.

Hecht said the past year saw 52 structure fires in the city. He estimated in a given year 5% to 10% of fires in the city may be suspicious.

In the past 13 months, the city has seen three high-profile fires with suspicious origins.

The former Broadway Theatre sustained heavy damage in a March 31 blaze. Authorities have not announced a cause for the fire.

On April 18, a fire destroyed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Cape Rock Drive. In this case, authorities quickly apprehended a suspect who had allegedly made previous threatening statements about burning down the church.

A little more than a year ago, a fire at Cape Girardeau's Islamic Center resulted in the arrest of a man who had previously set fire to the structure. That case has been labeled a hate crime.

And other fires with suspicious origins in the city point to being intentionally set, though authorities have released few details about such evidence as the investigations are ongoing. A spokesman for Cape Girardeau Police Department said detectives are working those cases.

"There are several people they would like to speak with regarding previous arsons, but they did not label them as suspects or persons of interest at this time," Sgt. Joey Hann said.

Cape Girardeau Fire Department has a half-dozen investigators, Hecht said, and the department readily accesses resources through the state fire marshal, local law enforcement agencies and federal agencies, such as the FBI when a suspicious fire might fall into a category of hate crime.