Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for July 29, 2008 CAIRO - $10,000 ARSON REWARD

$10,000 Reward for Information after Another Suspicious Fire

By: CJ Cassidy & Heartland News

CAIRO, Ill. - Several suspicious fires in Cairo have investigators busy looking for the arsonist.

Just this weekend another suspicious fire broke out on Pine Street.

The fire chief now hopes a $10,000 reward helps brings out more information.

Investigators say they're looking into seven fires in the past two weeks of which only six are suspected arson. Two of them were car fires.

The house fires were set around the intersection of Pine and 22nd Street and folks living right in the middle say it's enough to make them very nervous.

Shayne Harma says he's had to evacuate his family's home twice in the past two weeks because of fire around them.

"I stayed inside until they told me to evacuate the house. Then I grabbed my belongings, got out of the house, stood over there and watched," Harma said.

Down the road from Harma, George Fritz keeps a watchfull eye on his neighborhood from behind his fence.

"There's a lot of crime going on in Cairo and it needs to be stopped. I got cameras. I see something going on, I call it in." Fritz said.

Fritz also has a couple dogs to alert him when anyone comes near his house.

Cairo Fire Chief John Meyer hopes folks like Fritz step up if they notice anything suspicious. He also hopes the reward encourages those who wouldn't speak up otherwise.

"We're trying our best to protect citizens in the community and their assests, and their cars. We need their help also," Meyer said.

Meanwhile, Shayne Harma says he's got his own ideas of what should happen now.

"I think they need to investigate, find out how they were set and what they were set with. They'll get the person who's doing it. There's always evidence," Harma said.

The fire chief believes the car fires were set by someone else.

All the homes close to Pine and 22nd were vacant, but crews said they could have easily hurt someone living close by.

Chief John Meyer tells Heartland News the Illinois Arson Award Program will pay for information which may prevent an arson, or lead to the arrest of an arsonist.

A reward of $10,000 is being offered on the suspicious fires.

Investigators ask that you please call the Arson Alert Hotline at 1-800-252-2947.