Officials from the East Lansing police and fire departments ruled that two garage fires early this summer were the result of an arsonist. Two other garage fires remain under investigation.
East Lansing Fire Marshal Bob Pratt said his department, with the assistance of police, is working to establish any connections between the four incidents. It is still unclear how long it will take to determine the causes of the other fires, Pratt added.
The two fires that were ruled as arsons occurred on M.A.C. Avenue and Grove Street, while the other two happened on Evergreen and M.A.C. avenues.
"The fires were both started in garages in the evening time," Pratt said. "We are looking for any similarities with fires that occurred in outlying areas. Meridian Township has had a couple of suspicious fires that our police department was looking at.
"This has happened in the past, but I wouldn't say it is a common occurrence."
The fires being investigated in Meridian Township also were started in garages, Pratt said.
Officials couldn't reveal the details of each case because the incidents are still under investigation.
The East Lansing Police Department became involved in the investigations after they received a call from an official at the fire department, East Lansing police Lt. Kevin Daley said.
"Because there was a series of (fires) in a small area, we feel they could be connected," he said. "We have not found any suspects that could be related to the fires."
To investigate a fire, its point of origin is determined, East Lansing Fire Inspector Gerald Rodabaugh said. Once that is accomplished, a fire's burn pattern is examined to see how the fire spread.
All fires in Michigan are first considered accidental, he said.
"Fire burns in a defined manner," Rodabaugh said. "What we do is look for reasons for the fire to start and then try to rule things out. If we find a fire that starts in a place that doesn't have a reason to, then we proceed to make a case from there."
Evidence, such as fingerprints, DNA or chemicals are sometimes taken from the scenes of fires and sent to a lab for analysis.
It's often hard to determine the chemical cause of a garage fire because most garages contain things such as gas, oil and paint, Rodabaugh said.
"Samples aren't taken at every fire, contrary to CSI," he said. "A lab is going to tell you if you have a flammable combustible present.
"There are a lot of steps involved that are driven by the location of the fire. If a fire starts in the middle of the room, then it is going to tell you something."
But looking for the cause of an arson goes beyond physical evidence, Pratt said.
"Motivation is one of the key factors," he said.
Factors such as landlord-tenant relations and insurance policies are examined after a fire occurs, Pratt said, adding that most arsons in East Lansing lack a motive.
"One of the difficult parts of fires like this is we have a lot of random acts of destruction," he said. "If I were to hazard a guess, I would say alcohol and testosterone are involved.
"A lot of times, it is random."
