CHEBOYGAN CO. -- There have been two arsons in two weeks in one tight nit Cheboygan County community.
The Sheriff wants this person off the streets before somebody gets killed.
The Sheriff believes that the two arson cases are related, but this time, the arsonist took it to the next level.
Barbara Foren was watching her friend's two kids, had just fallen asleep, and a little after 12:30 Wednesday morning, the smoke detector at her Aloha Township home started beeping. At first, she thought it was just burning popcorn, but soon learned it was because flames were creeping up the side of her house.
“As I rounded the stairs and came down, I could see the fire coming through the window," Foren explains.
She got the kids out and ran to the back and grabbed the garden hose. She doused the flames, but as she did this, she noticed there was a bottle filled with something that wouldn't go out. She used a rake, pulled it away from her home, and finally put it out. It was then she knew her home was targeted.
“Why would you do something like that where you could kill people," Foren asks.
Maybe most troublesome about this is the 13 year-old she was watching had a light on in his room directly above the inferno. You may remember a couple weeks ago when an arsonist lit a fire in the corner of an attached garage while the people were inside. The home was two miles away from this blaze, and a similar accelerant was used. The Sheriff says the two are likely related.
“Both of these arsons were occupied homes, so this individual, whoever is committing the crime, apparently has no regards for the safety of the individuals in the homes," says Cheboygan County Sheriff Dale Clarmont.
But this time, he says the arsonist took it to the next level by lighting fire underneath the room where there was a kid.
“I got the kids to safety, they were my first priority, and I’m going to try to stay here tonight, don't know how it will go, I may go stay with some friends," says an emotional Foren.
“Arson is a very serious crime and we will not have this in our community," says Clarmont.
The Sheriff told me with this most recent torch, and the harm it could have caused, the hunt is on, and he says he won't stop until he gets this man or woman off the streets.
If you have any information that could help police, call the Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Office at (231) 627-3155 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 422-JAIL. You can remain anonymous.
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An arson investigation is underway in Cheboygan County and officials believe it could be connected to another case.
Sheriff Clarmont stated the Alverno Fire Department was dispatched to a residence on Mullett Lake Woods Shore Drive in Aloha Township at 12:41 am July 20, 2011 for a structure fire. Upon arrival the fire department was met by the home owner who had put the fire out with an outdoor water hose.
The fire started on the southeast corner of the single family residence, crawled up the outside wall and shattered an exterior window. The smoke entered the window of the residence and set off the smoke detectors which alerted the occupants.
The Fire Department along with the Cheboygan County Sheriff Department investigators believes the fire is arson. “We collected evidence at and around the scene which seemed to indicate an accelerant was used,” said Clarmont. The evidence was sent to the Michigan State Police Crime Lab to be analyzed. “At this time the investigation remains open and we are asking anyone in the area that may have observed anything suspicious or have any information to contact us, this is the second arson case within the last 2 weeks in the same general location” said Clarmont. “Both homes were occupied at the time the fires were set and we are extremely troubled and concerned about these arsons.”
“Although no injuries were reported in either case, either case could have had a much different outcome” said Clarmont.
Clarmont recommends for security reasons homeowners keep exterior lights on at all times during the night time hours or have motion detector lighting installed. “For a very low cost, security lighting goes a long way” stated Clarmont.
The Alverno Fire Department and the Cheboygan County Sheriff Department were assisted at the scene by the Michigan State Police and the Cheboygan County Life Support Systems.
You can contact the Cheboygan County Sheriff Department at 231-627-3155 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-422-JAIL. You can remain anonymous.
