Bomb and Arson investigating after crews respond to multiple fires in Castle Point area overnight

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - The St. Louis County Bomb and Arson Squad is investigating after firefighters responded to three suspicious fires in the Castle Point area overnight.

According to fire officials, crews arrived at the first fire after 12 a.m. in the 2200 block of Empress.

When they arrived, there was a fire inside one of the homes. It was quickly knocked down, but a couple doors down, another fire was seen outside of a home.

After that fire was knocked down, crews were called to a third fire at a home in the 10200 block of Duke around 1:30 a.m.

Crews arrived to find heavy fire from the front and side of the home.

No one was found inside the home.

The calls came in to Metro North Fire, with several other departments responding to help.

North County Fire and Rescue Chief Keith Goldstein said the report almost immediately showed this was suspicious.

“Somebody noticed somebody lighting off a trash dumpster and a mattress on the side of a house,” Chief Goldstein said.

Chief Goldstein said all of the homes were vacant and had no running utilities.

“Even though they’re vacant homes, we still worry about people that are squatting in these homes and a lot of times people say they’ve seen people in there earlier in the daytime,” Chief Goldstein said. “You gotta go in and do your search so it does put a burden on the guys as far as knowing its vacant and what the risk versus gain is gonna be. Life is our number one priority.”

The chief said just two weeks ago the same area saw the same thing, with three suspicious fires back to back in one night.

“That’s a red flag in that area so we hope the investigators get it under control,” Chief Goldstein said.

St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit detectives were requested to investigate the fires.

Police tell First Alert 4 officers identified a person of interest in the Duke Drive fire and took them into custody.

County Police said they are also aware of the additional fires in the area over the past several months, but no suspect has been positively identified in those.

Castle Point has been home to Robert Young for more than 40 years.

“We have to pray for our own neighborhood to try to keep it safe,” Young said.

Young said it’s concerning this is happening so close to his home.

“Somebody is starting the fires. They’re doing it to tear them down or just running through the neighborhood. We jump from shooting, killing, everything is going on in the neighborhood,” Young said.

Young said these vacant homes need to be knocked down so this can’t keep happening.

“This is my neighborhood. I ain’t going nowhere,” Young said.

First Alert 4 asked St. Louis County what is being done about vacant house fires. County officials tell First Alert 4 that $10 million of this year’s budget is going to address derelict properties, and Castle Point is a priority area.

A fourth fire was reported around 2 a.m. in the 10100 block of Count and is not being considered suspicious. This fire was located in the attic of a home, which was determined to be occupied, but nobody was inside.

It was sparked by the stove and extended upwards into the attic, fire officials said.

This fire was not reported as suspicious, but the three prior ones are under investigation by the Bomb and Arson Squad.

No injuries were reported at any of the locations.

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