fires News

Upstate New York Man Charged With Multiple Arson Counts

A 43-year-old man has been charged with setting a string of fires that caused more than $500,000 in damage to several structures and vehicles in a northern New York village. State police say Joseph King of Port Henry was charged …

Connecticut Police Hold 2 in Ice Rink Fire Investigation

Connecticut State Police say two men are in custody as troopers investigate fires that damaged a home and destroyed a regional curling club’s ice rink. Authorities say the incidents in Norfolk culminated with a police chase early Sunday to capture …

Arsonist Sentenced for Houston Blaze

A judge has sentenced a Houston man who had been suspected of setting a series of fires to 40 years in state prison for one of the blazes. John Leonard Morin was convicted and sentenced on a felony arson charge …

Fire Crews Respond to 6 Suspicious Michigan Fires

The Detroit Fire Department says it responded to six suspicious fires at vacant homes on the city’s north side. Arson Unit Lt. Dennis Richardson told the Detroit Free Press that the first of four fires on one street was reported …

Feds Probe New Battery Fires in Chevrolet Volt

The government is investigating new fires involving the lithium-ion batteries in General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet Volt to assess the fire risk in the electric car after a serious crash. One Volt battery pack that was being closely monitored following a …

High Winds Blamed for Fires, Injury in Colorado

An emergency fire ban remains in effect in Boulder County, Colo., where high winds Saturday were blamed for three fires and the closure of a farmers market. The three small blazes were whipped by winds as high as 84 miles …

17 Fires Set Over 4 Hours in Minnesota Neighborhood

Minneapolis police say arsonists set 17 small fires in a 13-block area, damaging two garages and three vehicles. No injuries were reported. The fires were set over a four-hour period beginning Friday at 8:30 p.m. In addition to torching the …

Colorado Man Arrested in Downtown Building Fires

Authorities said Friday that a Fort Collins man is suspected of starting a fire that caused an estimated $10 million in damage to two downtown buildings. Police said Benjamin Gilmore, 29, was arrested Thursday night on charges of first-degree arson, …

Michigan Mayor Says Halloween Fires Down

Detroit, Mich., Mayor Dave Bing says fires during the Halloween period fell 44 percent from a year earlier. Bing told reporters Tuesday that the number of structure fires reported in the three-day span totaled 94, compared with 169 in the …

Michigan Mayor Says Halloween Fires Down So Far

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing says fires during the Halloween period are down 50 percent. Bing told radio station WWJ on Monday that 52 fires were reported Sunday and early Monday, down from 104 last year. Residents are patrolling streets to …