Posted: 9:18 am EDT October 27, 2009Updated: 8:44 am EDT October 28, 2009
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Monday night, New Castle police arrested eight people in connection with a string of arsons that have plagued the city for more than 18 months.
Channel 11's Amy Marcinkiewicz has learned New Castle police took into custody seven men and one woman.
SLIDESHOW: PLEASE FOLLOW LINK AT BOTTOM OF PAGE
Two of the eight people arrested are juveniles.
Ruben Suarez, Steven Sheridan, Stephen Threats, Mark Quear, Rachelle Lombardo and Darrell Rice Jr. are all friends, investigators said.
All of the suspects are charged with arson.
Police said the motive, at first, was to set the fires to cover up thefts of copper from vacant homes, but as the years wore on, those close to the case told Channel 11 the group started the fires just for kicks.
Officials said three of those arrested confessed, and the city has cleared 12 of the 34 arsons in New Castle since 2007.
The break came within the last month, investigators said. Some 50 interviews turned up three confessions.
The city, about 40 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, has been plagued by more than 50 fires in abandoned buildings since the beginning of last year.
No serious injuries have been reported in any of the fires. But the city has been forced to pay overtime to firefighters and to spend money to demolish some of the damaged buildings.
Local residents told Channel 11 they're relieved that suspects have been arrested, but say they can't give up on bringing other arsonists to justice.
"It's a big step forward. I think there's a lot we can be excited about and I'm very enthusiastic. I think it can be an energy boost in this neighborhood and a way we can get some more things done in the future," said Laurie Emery.
LIST OF SOLVED ARSONS:
11/18/2007 216 Bellview Ave.
11/29/2007 812 Croton Ave.
5/11/2008 111 N. Crawford Ave.
8/25/2008 611 Spruce St.
9/4/2008 201 N. Walnut St.
9/6/2008 741 Oak St.
11/8/2008 723 Chestnut St.
11/8/2008 727 Court St.
11/8/2008 207 S. Mulberry St.
11/8/2008 231 N. Ray St.
1/9/2009 120 N. Crawford St.
7/12/2009 406 S. Walnut St.
http://www.wpxi.com/news/21436600/detail.html
Showing posts with label arson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arson. Show all posts
Anti-government signs are torched
When a local man publicly expressed his opinion about the direction the country is going, things got hot.
Several homemade anti-government signs displayed on the Slippery Rock Township property of Jeff Wright were destroyed by fire around 10 p.m. Monday.
Nobody witnessed the torching, but Wright and his wife, Peggy, spotted the flames from their house, which is located above the family business — Jeff Wright Electric — in the former Deinert’s Country Store building on Route 422.
Wright said the perpetrator might have been burned during the incident as he dropped a lighter, a gas can and ran out of his flip-flops while getting back to his car. Wright said the gas can was on fire, too.
“He’s probably got some singed eyebrows.”
Wright said slogans were painted on 4-by-4-foot sheets of plywood, held up concrete blocks.
The Slippery Rock Township fire department and state police were called to the scene. Lt. Doug Humble said state police were investigating the incident.
“I just want people to know what’s going on,” said Wright, 48, who moved to Lawrence County in 1970 from the Washington, D.C.
He has been putting up protest signs on his property for the past two months. Wright said thousands of cars drive past his business on Route 422 every day. He said many have stopped to pose for pictures with the signs while others honk their horns in support.
Wright believes the current administration is lying to the American people.
“The main criteria that you support for any president is to uphold and defend the Constitution,” Wright said. “But it is being shredded and thrown away like a document that has no value. I was like most everybody else in not knowing what’s going on so I decided to look into it.”
Using the Internet, Wright said he began to research people in the administration and those in Congress.
“Most people don’t have a clue about all the stuff that is going on,” he said. “Unless you have an issue that exposes the corruption, you just accept what they tell you.
“I’m not against anyone personally, but I am against their ideology. This government subverts the Constitution and implements backdoor policies.
“Do I just stand silent and let it take its course?”
One of the destroyed signs read, “Obama is a liar. Pelosi and Reed are thieves.” Others said, “Your country is being stolen” and “Prosecute and exile this administration.” Another said “traitors” in large letters with names of politicians written on it.
Wright said the country is equally divided.
“I’m not trying to convince anyone that they are wrong, but we had better have something to agree on and that should be the founding documents of this country.
“We need to put all the ideology and personal preferences aside and at least agree on the Constitution.”
Wright said he doesn’t get upset when he sees signs that supports the current policies, he just disagrees.
He plans to replace the signs, but using tin instead of wood.
“I’m exercising my First Amendment rights,” Wright said. “But apparently it made somebody mad.”
http://www.ncnewsmedia.com/archive/2009/09September/Obama_Guy/story1.htm
Several homemade anti-government signs displayed on the Slippery Rock Township property of Jeff Wright were destroyed by fire around 10 p.m. Monday.
Nobody witnessed the torching, but Wright and his wife, Peggy, spotted the flames from their house, which is located above the family business — Jeff Wright Electric — in the former Deinert’s Country Store building on Route 422.
Wright said the perpetrator might have been burned during the incident as he dropped a lighter, a gas can and ran out of his flip-flops while getting back to his car. Wright said the gas can was on fire, too.
“He’s probably got some singed eyebrows.”
Wright said slogans were painted on 4-by-4-foot sheets of plywood, held up concrete blocks.
The Slippery Rock Township fire department and state police were called to the scene. Lt. Doug Humble said state police were investigating the incident.
“I just want people to know what’s going on,” said Wright, 48, who moved to Lawrence County in 1970 from the Washington, D.C.
He has been putting up protest signs on his property for the past two months. Wright said thousands of cars drive past his business on Route 422 every day. He said many have stopped to pose for pictures with the signs while others honk their horns in support.
Wright believes the current administration is lying to the American people.
“The main criteria that you support for any president is to uphold and defend the Constitution,” Wright said. “But it is being shredded and thrown away like a document that has no value. I was like most everybody else in not knowing what’s going on so I decided to look into it.”
Using the Internet, Wright said he began to research people in the administration and those in Congress.
“Most people don’t have a clue about all the stuff that is going on,” he said. “Unless you have an issue that exposes the corruption, you just accept what they tell you.
“I’m not against anyone personally, but I am against their ideology. This government subverts the Constitution and implements backdoor policies.
“Do I just stand silent and let it take its course?”
One of the destroyed signs read, “Obama is a liar. Pelosi and Reed are thieves.” Others said, “Your country is being stolen” and “Prosecute and exile this administration.” Another said “traitors” in large letters with names of politicians written on it.
Wright said the country is equally divided.
“I’m not trying to convince anyone that they are wrong, but we had better have something to agree on and that should be the founding documents of this country.
“We need to put all the ideology and personal preferences aside and at least agree on the Constitution.”
Wright said he doesn’t get upset when he sees signs that supports the current policies, he just disagrees.
He plans to replace the signs, but using tin instead of wood.
“I’m exercising my First Amendment rights,” Wright said. “But apparently it made somebody mad.”
http://www.ncnewsmedia.com/archive/2009/09September/Obama_Guy/story1.htm
Fire destroys vacant two-story house in city
A fire of unknown origin destroyed a two-story, vacant house on New Castle’s West Side Wednesday night.
A neighbor alerted the Lawrence County 911 center at 9:59 p.m. that flames were shooting out of 226 Wick Ave. As city firefighters arrived, fire had engulfed the structure.
James Goodman Jr., of 814 W. Grant St., is listed as the property’s owner. City fire Chief Tom Maciarello said the home had been unoccupied for approximately one to two years.
Five units, including the department’s tower ladder firetruck, responded. Medevac Ambulance was also at the scene. Firefighters cleared the location at 12:49 a.m. Thursday.
The city police department’s arson investigator was called to the scene. If determined to be an arson, that would mark the 18th intentionally set fire in the city for 2009.
http://www.ncnewsmedia.com/archive/2009/Rapid_Response/SEPTEMBER/24/wick_fire/index.htm
A neighbor alerted the Lawrence County 911 center at 9:59 p.m. that flames were shooting out of 226 Wick Ave. As city firefighters arrived, fire had engulfed the structure.
James Goodman Jr., of 814 W. Grant St., is listed as the property’s owner. City fire Chief Tom Maciarello said the home had been unoccupied for approximately one to two years.
Five units, including the department’s tower ladder firetruck, responded. Medevac Ambulance was also at the scene. Firefighters cleared the location at 12:49 a.m. Thursday.
The city police department’s arson investigator was called to the scene. If determined to be an arson, that would mark the 18th intentionally set fire in the city for 2009.
http://www.ncnewsmedia.com/archive/2009/Rapid_Response/SEPTEMBER/24/wick_fire/index.htm
Vacant Crawford Avenue home burns
Vacant Crawford Avenue home burns
New Castle News
New Castle’s Lower East Side was the scene of another suspicious fire early Saturday.
The blaze broke out about 2:30 a.m. in a vacant home at 229 N. Crawford Ave. New Castle Police officer David Viggiano, the city’s fire marshal, was called to investigate.
Two nights earlier, another Lower East Side fire at 306 1/2 Pine St. left a family homeless, just three weeks after a woman and her five children had moved into it. Authorities called that blaze suspicious as well.
Prior to Saturday’s blaze, there had been 46 confirmed arsons and eight undetermined fires in the area over the last several months.
http://www.ncnewsonline.com/archivesearch/local_story_257100052.html
New Castle News
New Castle’s Lower East Side was the scene of another suspicious fire early Saturday.
The blaze broke out about 2:30 a.m. in a vacant home at 229 N. Crawford Ave. New Castle Police officer David Viggiano, the city’s fire marshal, was called to investigate.
Two nights earlier, another Lower East Side fire at 306 1/2 Pine St. left a family homeless, just three weeks after a woman and her five children had moved into it. Authorities called that blaze suspicious as well.
Prior to Saturday’s blaze, there had been 46 confirmed arsons and eight undetermined fires in the area over the last several months.
http://www.ncnewsonline.com/archivesearch/local_story_257100052.html
Abandoned house torched — again
New Castle News
The New Castle Fire Department responded to another suspicious fire early yesterday.
A Lawrence County dispatcher said the blaze broke out at 4:43 a.m. at 826 Morton St., an abandoned house that was the site of another suspicious fire Aug. 12.
According to Assistant Chief Mark Panella, when city firefighters arrived, the door to the house was open and small fires were burning in each of the rooms on the first floor.
Firefighters said they detected an odor of gas.
It took little time to extinguish the fires, Panella noted.
“We got there early,” he said. “We were dispatched at a quarter to five and were out of there by a quarter after 5.”
According to Panella, the fire was reported by a next door neighbor who woke up and saw smoke.
http://www.ncnewsonline.com/local/local_story_236092105.html
New Castle To Tear Down More Abandoned Homes After Blaze
Roof Collapses During Fire At Abandoned Business
Firefighters in New Castle battled an intense blaze at a building early Monday morning along Long Avenue.Fire crews were called to the former business at about 2:15 a.m.Video showed flames shooting out of the windows. Shortly after firefighters arrived, the roof collapsed.Fire investigators told Channel 11 News that the fire started in the back of the building.They are calling the cause suspicious but have not officially ruled it arson.No one was hurt in the blaze, which was one of more than 50 suspicious fires in New Castle in the past 18 months. Investigators are offering a $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.While police investigate the latest blaze, city code enforcement is trying to tear down abandoned buildings in the area.Investigators said no one lived in the home for years, but the homeowner, Eddie Grossman, said he lived there. No utilities were hooked up though, authorities said.It will now be added to the list of homes being torn down."There's quite a few (of abandoned buildings)," said Code Enforcement Officer Anthony Cioffi, who said there are more than 100.The mayor of New Castle said he is among many people fed up."We got to tear it down now," said Mayor Anthony Mastrangelo. "It takes money away from homes that really need to be torn down."Officials said it costs about $4,000 to tear down each home, but the city recently got some much-needed federal money to help out."We just received money Friday from the state, $150, 000 to begin tearing down homes, and that is going to help," said Mastrangelo.There is still a $3,000 reward for a tip that leads to an arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the arsons.http://www.wpxi.com/news/20427087/detail.html
No Word On Whether Arson Suspected
Blaze Rips Through Another Home In New Castle
No Word On Whether Arson Suspected
Posted: 7:40 am EDT July 21, 2009Updated: 10:34 am EDT July 21, 2009
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Firefighters responded to another fire in New Castle late Monday night.Flames tore through a home along Patterson Street, which is in a different area of town from where there have been a series of arsons at vacant homes.Lawrence County emergency dispatchers were unable to confirm if the home was vacant or not.There have been 12 suspicious fires in the past six months in New Castle.There is a $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in that investigation.Neighbors met with the mayor and fire chief earlier this month to find out what they can do to stop the arsonist.They focused on curfews, patrols and vacant houses.The mayor said the city has been approved for a $100,000 grant to demolish abandoned homes. There are 10 homes already on the list.http://www.wpxi.com/news/20127148/detail.html
New Castle Authorities, Residents Fed Up With Arsons
Posted: 6:37 am EDT July 14, 2009Updated: 4:43 pm EDT July 14, 2009
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- New Castle residents joined their community's fire chief in expressing their fear and frustration after a fire erupted in another vacant house Tuesday morning."It's very frustrating," said New Castle Fire Chief Tom Maciarello. "I'm at a loss for words right now."The most recent fire brings the total of suspected arsons to 13 this year.Tuesday's fire started at about 3:30 a.m. at a vacant home at Oak and Ray streets. Firefighters let the house burn to the ground, using water only to make sure it didn't spread to nearby homes.Officials said the house was on a list of vacant homes to be torn down in New Castle.Channel 11 News spoke with New Castle Police Chief Tom Sansone, who said they have not determined if the fires are connected or unrelated."Several of them, in the way they start, seem to be connected -- the same (Lower East Side) area or manner they start them in and the accelerant they use," Sansone said. "In other ones, it's totally different so it's our opinion some of these fires could be related (and) some may not be.""We think we may be looking for more than one person in these (arsons)," he said."(Whoever's responsible is) trying to stay one step ahead of us," said Maciarello. "He's going to slip up sooner or later."New Castle City Council is pushing for a resolution to make it law where property owners have to register a house abandoned within a year, or they could face fines. Money collected in fines could help tear down other dilapidated properties.New Castle police are also increasing their patrols in the Lower East Side where most of the fires have been set. They are asking residents to be their eyes and ears on the street.Many neighbors have seen enough as it is, though. "(It's) unsettling. It is something we have to continuously worry about," said neighbor Brandi Lykins. "I know there is a vacant house behind my garage and another one down (the street).""It makes me real nervous," said Tina Hoffman, neighbor. "I had to up my homeowners insurance in case that caught on fire to protect myself. So it's very nerve racking."The house's owner, Janis Tummavichakul, arrived at the scene while the home was engulfed in flames Tuesday morning."This is so detrimental to the community," said Tummavichakul. "We, as residents and homeowners, have to be exposed to this and live in fear not knowing what victim is going to be next."The flames came just hours after neighbors met to address the town's arson problem. At that meeting, residents raised the reward to $3,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for setting the fires.http://www.wpxi.com/news/20047069/detail.html
Reward Increased For New Castle Arsonist Arrest
Reward Increased For New Castle Arsonist Arrest
Posted: 6:04 am EDT July 12, 2009Updated: 11:54 pm EDT July 13, 2009
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Neighbors and community leaders met Monday night in New Castle, to develop an action plan to stop an arsonist.There have been 12 suspicious fires over the past six months in New Castle.Hunter Davis' house was the last to be torched."Most of the time they were burning abandoned houses. Like my neighbor said, I'm always gone, maybe they didn't think anyone was there," Davis said.Neighbors met with the mayor and fire chief to find out what they can do to stop the arsonist.They focused on curfews, patrols and vacant houses.The mayor told the group the city has been approved for a $100,000 grant to demolish abandoned homes.There are 10 homes already on the list."We have absentee owners who live in Florida, California, Kentucky, Bermuda. They're not maintaining the properties," said Mayor Anthony Mastangelo.A $3,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.http://www.wpxi.com/news/20029689/detail.html
New Castle working to demolish more vacant houses after 35 arsons keep residents on edge
New Castle working to demolish more vacant houses after 35 arsons keep residents on edge
Sunday, May 31, 2009
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Nearly every month for the past year and a half, residents have awakened to the red glare of flames and the explosions of shattering glass from an arson fire.
Often, arsonists have set several vacant houses on fire within a few days of each other -- in some cases, within a few minutes of each other, leaving the entire city on edge.
Nearly all of those fires were set in the Lower East Side, a neighborhood about six blocks square where many houses sit empty and grassy vacant lots are common. There, after several more arsons last weekend, some residents said they now fear the arsonists will start targeting occupied homes.
"I just hope and pray there's a stop to it," said Robert Pettiford, who lives in a rented home across the street from the charred ruins of a frame house at 616 S. Ray St. that was set on fire at about 4 a.m. last Sunday.
"I haven't been able to sleep since this happened -- they could come do the same to us."
A few suspects were questioned last winter in connection with earlier arsons in the Lawrence County city, but no one has been arrested. Fire and police officials believe that more than one person is involved because several fires were set almost simultaneously.
The arsons began in January 2008 with a fire at 500 E. Main St., an address that was set ablaze twice more in March and April 2008. Since the fires began, 35 of them have been ruled arsons. Investigators believe another 10 were deliberately set but haven't made a final ruling. So far, every arson has occurred in a vacant house. In every case, neighboring homes have been occupied.
With each arson, the city's firefighters must respond as they would if the vacant building were occupied, potentially risking their lives, Fire Chief Thomas Maciarello said. Neither residents nor firefighters have been hurt, but city officials worry it's only a matter of time.
"We've been running through raindrops so far," Chief Maciarello said. "My men have been lucky, but with the intensity of the fires and the structural damage, it wouldn't take much for a floor to collapse or a wall to come down."
Officials from the fire and police departments and the mayor's office met last week to discuss how to stop the arsons. They established a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the arsonist or arsonists, and set up a hot line at 724-656-3067 for anonymous tips.
They also scheduled a meeting this week for residents who would like to create neighborhood watch groups in their area. It will be held at the I Care House at 602 Court St. at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
At last week's meeting, New Castle officials also discussed tearing down more of the city's vacant buildings, although they must go through a months-long process of notifying owners of the properties before demolition can begin. That process often is made more complicated because many owners live out of town or can't be reached for other reasons.
The city, a distressed community in Act 47 status, has enough money to demolish 10 more houses, at an average cost of $4,000 per house. State officials have pledged an additional $150,000 to demolish nearly 40 more abandoned homes, according to Mayor Anthony G. Mastrangelo.
"Whenever I get extra money -- so to speak -- we're going to clean up the place," Mr. Mastrangelo said.
City officials could not specify how many homes are vacant, and how many need to be demolished.
One of the obstacles to cleaning up New Castle, Mr. Mastrangelo said, is the problem of absentee landlords who own an increasing number of houses in the city. Many of those houses aren't maintained properly and are rented to drug dealers and prostitutes. Others are simply left vacant for months or years, drawing arsonists.
The house at 616 S. Ray St. had been vacant for three years, according to longtime neighbors. Next door lives a 93-year-old woman who is an invalid, uses oxygen and can't be moved easily. Behind it live David and Kathleen Mumford, who awoke to a fire at 4 a.m. Sunday.
By the time he got his wife and dog out of the house, Mr. Mumford said, the property next door was engulfed in flames. He called the fire department, which responded quickly, but heat from the blaze still shattered his windows and melted Venetian blinds hanging inside.
The city is doing its best to combat the problem, but it's broke, said Mr. Mumford, who was born in New Castle 64 years ago and has lived there all his life. When he was a boy, he said, the Lower East Side was such a safe neighborhood that no one locked their doors. Not anymore.
"It really went downhill," said Mr. Mumford, who noticed his community's disintegration picking up speed about 10 years ago. "There's no work in New Castle, no money with the mills gone."
The old habits of a tightly knit community remain, though. Neighbors still watch out for each other. They know who lives where -- and usually, what they are doing and whether they should be doing it.
Tammie Baker pays even closer attention to her neighborhood since the vacant house next to her at 306 S. Crawford Ave. burned down early Sunday, just after the fire on Ray Street. She has replaced the batteries in her smoke detectors and is watching the streets until late at night.
"I'm keeping an eye open on anybody going past the house, watching anybody going up the alley and driving by," she said on the front porch of her tidy, white-frame home, while a group of tough-looking men roared by in an orange muscle car, tires squealing as it turned the corner.
"I'm keeping an eye on everything going on in the neighborhood."
Like many of her neighbors, she worries that arsonists will start burning down occupied homes. She, too, hopes they either will be caught or decide to stop.
"Please stop -- people have families and kids," said Ms. Baker, who is the mother of children ages 15, 10 and 5. "How about going back to school or looking for work? This is tearing up the environment and it's tearing up the neighborhood and it's scaring little children."
Amy McConnell Schaarsmith can be reached at 412-263-1122 or aschaarsmith@post-gazette.com.
First published on May 31, 2009 at 12:00 am
Alligator Blamed For Starting Pennsylvania Fire
Story by wpxi.com
NORTH BEAVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. --
A six-foot alligator rescued in an abandoned school on fire in Lawrence County may have also started the blaze.
The blaze began at the former Mount Jackson Elementary School, along Edinburgh Road, in North Beaver Township, near New Castle.
Authorities said the man who owns the property, Brian Simpson, was living with a menagerie of animals in the building, including the alligator, about 70 rabbits and unspecified "aquatic animals."
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is involved in caring for the animal.
Fire Chief Paul Henry said the building's owner believes the alligator started the fire by knocking over a portable heater. Firefighters removed the animal, but only after taping its mouth shut.
"I basically got on top of it," said Wes Osborne, of Crit-R-Done Wildlife Control. "One of the fellows in there had already handled it a little bit by the tail, and we were able to duct-tape it to keep anybody from getting bit."
Simpson wouldn't talk to Channel 11 News except to say he wanted the news crew off his land.
Neighbors said they've been complaining about the rundown property for years.
"My concerns are the hazard to children that play in the neighborhood," said neighbor Missy Argiro. "It's an eyesore, obviously. I've known that he's had animals in there for many years. We can hear dogs barking every night."
The Fish and Game Commission said no laws were broken, so they're turning all the animals back over to the owner.
Copyright 2009 by WPXI.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?id=62978§ionId=46
Lawrence County man sentenced for blowing up house
By The Tribune-Review Wednesday, January 7, 2009
A Lawrence County man who admitted causing a house explosion in a failed suicide attempt has been sentenced to 7 to 14 years in prison.
Patrick Henry, 31, of New Castle, must pay $781,305 in restitution and will spend six years on probation after his release. He was sentenced Monday in Lawrence County Court for his November guilty plea to one count of arson.
Authorities say Henry unscrewed a natural gas line at his rental home Nov. 27, 2006. Henry was injured, as were about a dozen other people, including two friends who went to check on him when he missed work that day. Nearly four dozen homes were damaged in the blast.
Lawrence Co. Cars Being Fire Bombed
New Castle (KDKA) - Auto owners in Lawrence County have reason to be on edge.
Some people are firebombing cars and - in some cases - using Molotov cocktails.
Police are searching for a connection between the crimes.
The results are the same - damaged automobiles.
New Castle Schaefer Automotive Services has been in business for 50 years. Recently, police were called to the business because a car was said to have been burned on the property.
One victim told KDKA's Ross Guidotti that his vehicle suffered superficial damage, but that he and his cars are in hiding.
He also said that if the firebomb would have hit the car in the right spot, this could have been a catastrophe.
They used a Molotov cocktail - a bottle of vodka with kerosene or gasoline in it with a rag sticking out of the end.
New Castle investigators continue to look at the fires.
There is no word on any suspects.
http://kdka.com/topstories/Lawrence.County.fire.2.385289.html
Some people are firebombing cars and - in some cases - using Molotov cocktails.
Police are searching for a connection between the crimes.
The results are the same - damaged automobiles.
New Castle Schaefer Automotive Services has been in business for 50 years. Recently, police were called to the business because a car was said to have been burned on the property.
One victim told KDKA's Ross Guidotti that his vehicle suffered superficial damage, but that he and his cars are in hiding.
He also said that if the firebomb would have hit the car in the right spot, this could have been a catastrophe.
They used a Molotov cocktail - a bottle of vodka with kerosene or gasoline in it with a rag sticking out of the end.
New Castle investigators continue to look at the fires.
There is no word on any suspects.
http://kdka.com/topstories/Lawrence.County.fire.2.385289.html