Twelve Lehigh Acres fires under investigation, arson suspected; tips needed
Authorities suspect a fire starter in 12 Lehigh Acres blazes between Jan. 10 and May 14.
The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District and the Division of Forestry are investigating suspicious fires in the district. In the past month alone, firefighters responded to 10 outside fires.
The fire district said the blazes happened in vacant lots, although several endangered nearby homes.
The first of the suspicious fires was recorded Jan. 10 and the most recent suspicious fire occurred Tuesday at the intersection of Ruth Avenue North and 56th Street West, the fire district said.
Crews responded to the last call just before 5 a.m. after a nearby homeowner smelled the smoke and reported he saw embers falling onto his property, the fire district said.
The fire was in a vacant lot next to a home under construction, authorities said, adding that investigators believe the fire spread from a port-a-potty adjacent to the construction site.
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A homeowner near the fire provided video of a pickup entering and leaving the area just before the fire, authorities said. Investigators seek information to identify the owner.
In addition, the fire district encourages residents in the area of any of the fires to check their security cameras to see if any unusual activity was captured on video.
The remaining fires were recorded at:
∎ 3416 50th Street W.
∎ 203 E. 16th St.
∎ 901 W. 18th St.
∎ 3010 73rd St. W.
∎ 1720 Clayton Ave.
∎ 1721 Clayton Ave.
∎ 14 W. 16th St.
∎ 1602 Prospect Ave.
∎ 3001 72nd St. W.
∎ 903 W. 18th St.
∎ 3400 63rd St. W.
Investigators encourage residents to report suspicious persons or vehicles in the above-described areas to law enforcement.
Tipsters will remain anonymous, and if they lead to an arrest, they're eligible for a cash reward of up to $3,000.
Crime Stoppers can be reached by calling 1-800-780-TIPS (8477), or online at www.southwestfloridacrimstoppers.com.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Pickup sought, believed connected to arson case, Lehigh Acres Fire says
