AURORA | A 17-year-old is facing arson charges in connection with a series of fires started early Wednesday morning in Aurora.
Aurora Fire Rescue responded to a series of fires shortly after midnight on Wednesday in the Heather Ridge neighborhood in the area of Iliff Avenue and Peoria Street, according to information the department posted on social media.
There were approximately 10 individual fires, AFR Lt. Dan Pollet said, only one of which spread to the interior of a building. The others were in bushes, dumpsters and the exteriors of buildings.
“The majority of fires were quickly contained,” he said.
The structure fire was located in the area of S. Racine Way and S. Quentin Way, where crews responded to a two story multi-family building fire that affected three units, displacing 10 residents and several pets, Pollet said. The Red Cross assisted people who were displaced.
The fires were under control as of early Wednesday morning, and crews left the scene around 3 a.m., Pollet said. No injuries were reported to civilians or firefighters.
The fires are under investigation by AFR investigators, who work with the Aurora Police Department and other relevant agencies in investigating fires of a suspicious nature.
According to the Aurora Police Department, a 17-year-old male was arrested and charged with first-degree arson and will be prosecuted by the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s office. Due to his age, no other information will be released, the department said.
This is as much a mental illness as it is a crime. I’m willing to bet that this individual offered many lesser warning signs prior to this and that he had issues at home. Compulsive arson also leads to bigger and better crimes as juveniles become adults, so it is good that he was stopped at this point. I hope he gets not only the prison time he deserves but the mental help he needs.
It would seem to be in the Conifer Creek area, not the Heather Ridge neighborhood. Heather Ridge is not at Iliff and Peoria…