Mobile Fire-Rescue and police detectives spent part of last weekend investigating two separate fires that authorities believe were deliberately set within a 24-hour span, though they say the incidents do not appear to be connected.
The first fire broke out early Saturday morning at a home in the 6400 block of Rosalyn Drive South. According to a Mobile Police Department spokeswoman, three residents were awakened around 4:30 a.m. by a smoke detector before flames spread across the front of the house. When fire crews and officers arrived, they found a gasoline can on the front porch, which investigators believe had been used to accelerate the blaze.
No injuries were reported among the three occupants, and officials have not announced any arrests in connection with the fire. The case remains under investigation by Mobile Fire-Rescue and city police, who are working to determine who set the fire and why.
Less than 24 hours later, a second fire call sent officers to A-1 Auto Sales on Schillinger Road early Sunday morning, this time for a report of vehicles burning on the dealership lot. Police said two vehicles at the business were intentionally set ablaze around 3:56 a.m. As with the house fire, no suspects had been identified as of the following Monday, and the case remained open.
Investigators have said publicly that they see no evidence linking the house fire to the vehicle fires at the dealership, despite the short time span between the two incidents. Each is being treated as a separate arson investigation.
Arson cases can be difficult to solve without physical evidence such as surveillance footage or witnesses, and fire investigators typically rely on burn patterns, accelerant residue, and interviews with residents or business owners to build a case. The discovery of a gasoline container at the Rosalyn Drive scene gave investigators a clear starting point in that case, though it does not by itself identify a suspect.
Dealership arsons and residential fires involving accelerants are taken seriously by Mobile authorities given the risk to life and property, particularly when a home is occupied at the time flames are set. Fire officials have not released an estimate of the damage caused at either scene.
Anyone with information about either fire has been encouraged to contact Mobile police or Mobile Fire-Rescue. As of the most recent public update, both cases remained open with no suspects named, and investigators continued to review evidence gathered at each scene in hopes of identifying who was responsible.