SAN ANTONIO – UPDATE: A fourth fire has been reported in the 1000 block on Montana Street. An unknown caller reported seeing someone walking away from the house around the same time the fire broke out, officials said. Firefighters responded fairly quickly.
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(Original Story)
Three fires in vacant houses in the same East Side neighborhood have fire investigators wondering if an arsonist is at work.
The most destructive of the fires broke out in the 900 block of Dawson Street at some time early Friday morning.
Firefighters found huge flames coming from the home after answering a call about the fire shortly before 5 a.m.
However, they say it appears the fire had been burning for some time before that.
They began knocking down the flames but had to retreat and use an aerial hose when the situation became too dangerous.
The homes on both sides of it also are vacant so there was no danger to neighbors.
Fires at two other homes in the same neighborhood—the 1400 block of E. Commerce and the 200 block of E. Olive—were detected early on so firefighters were able to extinguish those right away.
Arson investigators were called to the scene of all three fires to determine the causes and whether they might be connected.
Firefighters, however, labeled all three as suspicious.