Rockford Housing Complex Hit by Multiple Blazes in 2 Weeks, Is Arson to Blame?

In the last two weeks, the Rockford Fire Department has put out four fires in the same housing area, and many people are wondering who is responsible.

Housing Fires in Rockford

This morning a post crossed my Facebook newsfeed that deeply concerned me:

Then I read deeper into the story and learned Rockford Fire crews have battled blazes in the same area, at different properties, multiple times in the last few weeks. Obviously, this is a big problem.

Arsonist On the Run in Rockford?

On September 21, the Rockford Fire Department responded to multiple fires that broke out on Acorn Street. Then on September 22, another fire was put out at 352 Leather Court. On October 2, shortly after 12 a.m., Rockford Fire responded to another fully-involved fire on Acorn St., but what do all these properties have in common?

They are all empty properties and all owned by the Rockford Housing Authority.

WREX reports:

The Fairgrounds Housing Complex and nearby area has now seen units 965, 985, 987, 989, 991, and 993 Acorn St., 816-818 Tanner Court, and 352 Leather Court affected by the fires, according to Rockford Housing Authority.

So, what’s going on here? Are all these fires accidents, or is something more sinister happening?

Is a Rockford resident who is sick of looking at the rundown, abandoned buildings setting fires to them so they have to be torn down?

Thankfully, no one was injured in any of the fires, and fire crews have been able to get the fires under control in about two hours, but what if that luck runs out?

I can't help but worry that it's only a matter a time before a fire is set in an occupied building, or that a firefighter will get injured while battling the blazes. Hopefully the Rockford Police Department will find whoever is responsible for the fires soon so we can all sleep a little better at night.