ST. LOUIS — A series of "suspicious" fires has both firefighters and Lemay's residents on alert.
More than 20 suspicious fires have occurred across the city since the beginning of the year. Lemay Fire Protection District officials are asking the city's residents to be on the lookout for any arson activity.
St. Louis County Police arrested and prosecutors charged 31-year-old Joseph Blalock with one count of knowingly burning or exploding wood pallets behind the South St. Louis County Floor & Decor Store.
In a news release, police said Blalock admitted he was the person caught on video stacking up trash and wood pallets behind the store on Oct. 12. Police say he was then on another video on Oct. 14 throwing an item onto the pile, which resulted in a fire.
Lemay Fire Protection District Lt. Jason Brice said despite the arrest, two more fires happened over the weekend in vacant homes on Dammert and Lark Avenues.
"Both house fires caused minor injuries to firefighters when they partially fell through the floor, where the fire below had burned through," the fire protection district said. "These types of fires pose a significant threat to the safety of our community and firefighters."
Phyllis Comparato lives on Lark Avenue near one of the vacant homes and witnessed the smoke and chaos on the street Friday.
"I do know that it's been abandoned for a long time and supposedly squatters have been in there and then animals have also been in there," Comparato said.
A mile and a half away, a suspicious fire popped up at another vacant home on Dammert on Saturday.
"This is unbelievable. It's got to stop. Somebody's going to get really hurt or killed," Lemay resident Dena Jackson said.
The recent fires have been turned over to the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit for investigation, officials said. The cause and origin of the fires are still being investigated.
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