INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Fire Department says two fires early Monday morning destroyed five houses, and they were ruled to be arson.
Battalion Chief Rita Reith said by email and social media on Tuesday that the department has not determined if the arsons on North College Avenue near 20th Street, and at the intersection of Hamilton and English avenues “are at all connected.”
The first fire, near Hamilton Avenue and English Avenue, happened early Monday around 1:00 at the edge of the Woodruff Heights neighborhood on the city’s near east side. Three two-story homes were destroyed. One firefighter was slightly injured, but then, he returned to work after that.
The second fire damaged two vacant homes and a nearby occupied home on North College Avenue early Monday around 3:00. Another firefighter was slightly injured and taken to the hospital.
Authorities have identified a person of interest and are asking for any information about the fires.
The Monday fires followed a separate house fire on Solego Drive the night before, where everybody, including a dog, escaped, and they were not injured.
