By TEREASA NIMS
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE — While the investigation into four March fires on the 200 block of Bondie Street persists, the fires appear to have quieted.
“Everything has died down, nothing is going on,” said Debra Page, whose smoke alarms alerted at 11:43 p.m. March 18 to a fire inside her garage.
The flames damaged the garage, but Page said it remains structurally sound. The same can’t be said about the three vacant houses nearby her that were also intentionally set fire to, Fire Chief Jeff Carley said.
“It’s my opining that all those homes are not going to be rebuilt,” Carley said, noting the significant damage.
He said all three of those houses were secure at the time, insured and all were well kept.
“All the fires appear incendiary (intentionally set) and they appear related,” Carley said.
The fires were set with the use of a flammable liquid, but Carley isn’t speculating what that was. The evidence is at the Michigan State Police Crime Lab and it’s expected to be analyzed in the upcoming weeks, he said.
“We’re absolutely ramped up in terms of fires,” Carley said. “We’re working together with the Police Department so that we can stop this. The residents on Bondie were under attack for last month. We’ve got a lot of man hours in this.”
Meanwhile, firefighters have identified vacant houses on adjacent streets and are pre-planning their attack should fires occur. Carley said they are making sure the hydrants are working and have examined the houses for best methods to extinguish a blaze in them.
He said it’s not often firefighters can prepare in such a way.
“We’re doing what we can until a positive resolution is met,” Carley said.
Yet, residents on Bondie are taking an active role in keeping their neighborhood safe.
“We are keeping our lights on,” Page said. “We are all being very watchful.”