Map of recent suspicious fires. Red icons mark the sites of the latest three incidents. |
Two suspicious fires erupted in fifteen minutes here Wednesday afternoon. The daytime blazes come as Chicago police continue to search for an arson suspect in the neighborhood. Arson investigators became aware of a third, already-extinguished fire in Boystown this morning.
In Wednesday’s fires, a car fire was reported at 2:50PM in the 1100 block of Eddy. Witnesses who were on-scene report that the fire may have been mechanical.
But, fifteen minutes later and three blocks away, another fire—initially reported as involving a work van—broke out in the 3300 block of Clark Street.
This morning, a resident of the 700 block of Aldine reported finding four burned-out trash cans near her apartment building. Her police report was filed over the phone because the fire was already extinguished when discovered. Arson investigators have been assigned to her case.
No one was injured in the latest fires, none of which has been deemed arson by investigators.
No Bail Reaffirmed
Hours before yesterday’s fires, a Cook County judge reaffirmed no-bail status for Daniel Grubauer, a 30-year-old former Wrigleyville bartender who has been described by 48th ward aldermanic staff as a suspected arsonist.
Grubauer is charged with burglary after allegedly admitting to breaking into an Uptown building that later caught on fire. His high bond is technically in place because the state filed a request for violation of probation against Grubauer on a 2012 aggravated DUI conviction.
Chicago police have previously stated that they believe some of the fires in Wrigleyville and Boystown are the work of an “associate” of a man who is in police custody.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated. We removed an incident on Reta Avenue after learning that it was not a fire. We added the Aldine incidents, which we became aware of after our story’s original post.
Related Stories
• ARSON: Overnight Fires Destroy Cars In Wrigleyville
• VIDEO: Arsonist Sets Blaze In Boystown This Morning; Other Suspicious Fires Nearby…
• FIRED UP: Overnight Arsonist Strikes Boystown…Again