Fire crews battle a seven-alarm fire on Calvin Street in Somerville July 25.
Credit: Nicolaus Czarnecki/METRO
A string of fires in Somerville has lead authorities to offer a reward for information that will help them capture an arsonist.
Somerville authorities said Monday that nine fires have broken out in the city in about the past eight weeks. Of those fires, six have been deemed arson or under investigation.
Three of the fires have been ruled accidental.
“To date, we are fortunate that these fires have not resulted in any significant injury or loss of life to any member of our community or our public safety personnel. Our firefighters and first responders have done a great job,” said Mayor Joseph Curtatone. “We are aggressively pursuing a number of leads and have been working and continue to work closely with both state and federal agencies on this investigation.”
The city said that the police department is stepping up patrols and urged residents to report any suspicious behavior.
A reward of up to $15,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of a person involved with intentionally setting the fires.
Anyone with information can call617-625-1600 or contact the state arson hotline at 800-682-9229.
Follow Michael Naughton on Twitter @metrobosmike.
