LAWRENCE, Kan. – Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical has been investigating a structure fire that could possibly be related to a string of arson fires in Lawrence.
According to Chief Mark Bradford of Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, late Friday night just before midnight, a possible structure fire was reported at the Cedarwood Apartment complex located in the 1700 block of W. 24th Street. The fire department reported finding a bag of trash on fire inside the building. It was quickly extinguished; however the building did suffer smoke damage.
No one was injured in the fire, but the incident did occur in the same area as 21 different arson cases which took place from October to December 2012. The cases were usually small fires which were easier put out, however a suspect has never been arrested for them.
Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical has not confirmed the fire was related to the previous arson cases, but did say that the investigation remains ongoing. They are asking area residents to make sure they have working smoke detectors, and to remain vigilant of any unusual activity. A $7500 reward is being offered to anyone with information leading to an arrest and conviction of the Lawrence arsonist.
