Arson investigation for apartment fires

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- An arson investigation is now underway in East Hartford after five fires were set to the same apartment building in the past year.

There's no such thing as a pleasant surprise when police and fire investigators canvass your apartment complex.

"I just seen all the cop cars, it looked crazy, lets see what's going on," said Peter Jones a resident of the complex.

The problem is this is becoming an all too familiar visit for those wearing a badge. This isn't the first time they've been there or the second, or the third, or fourth. They have been there five times in the past year.

"This is one of unfortunately a pattern of fires that we've in this complex, that are troublesome to us. It's a very, very large building, it's an occupied building, there are families living here, people occupy this building. The fires are lit in public areas, stairways, hallways, laundry rooms, storage areas," said Chief John Oates of the East Hartford Fire Dept.

A series of small fires was put out in the upstairs hallway in the building off Ellington Road. The fire today was set in the early morning but in the past the alarms went off at night.

"I was watching tv, my girlfriend was asleep, someone was banging on the door telling us to get out, there's a fire. Open the door, hallway is all smokey, her apartment got all smokey, I don't know who did it," said Lucius Miles of East Hartford.

A reward is being offered for any information leading to an arrest. Hopefully someday soon there will be a pleasant surprise here, news of a possible arsonist in custody.

"The unfortunate thing is the frequency has increased, this is the second time in less than a month," said Chief Oates.

"It was in the basement before and upstairs somewhere, I don't know what's up with it. It's scary though, yeah," said Miles.

One other facet of this investigation is the fact that someone did pull the fire alarm today but it did not go off. Of course, investigators want to know why that happened, was it an accident, or, did someone do something.