Arsonist stalks Northampton: Two men die in night of multiple fires, task force takes up probe
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NORTHAMPTON - Swarms of police from local, state and federal agencies spent Sunday canvassing Ward 3 in search of clues into a string of suspicious fires early Sunday that left two Fair Street residents dead, two homes destroyed and a city's sense of security shattered.
That work followed a horrific night in the city in which 14 fire departments were called in to help Northampton firefighters respond to at least nine fires authorities believe were deliberately set, all in neighborhoods on the eastern fringe of the city a short walk from downtown.
Two people - believed to be Paul Yeskie Sr. and Paul Yeskie Jr. of 17 Fair St. - died in the fire at their home, though Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel declined to confirm the identities of the two people who perished pending autopsies by the state medical examiner.
Many urgent questions remain unanswered, including whether the fires were set at random, investigators' theories about possible motives, and the method or methods used to set the fires.
State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said the Northampton fires were extraordinary because of the number of them - and how quickly they were set.
"The city was hit hard last night," a grim-faced Coan told two dozen reporters at a midday press conference Sunday. "The city is up to the challenge."
He said the state is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to a break in the case.
"Today we call for all citizens of Northampton to be deputized to bring information to us," said Coan. "We need you."
With residents on high alert, city police say they will be putting additional officers on the streets to help safeguard citizens.
"They can be totally assured we will have extra patrols out there," said Police Chief Russell P. Sienkiewicz, though he declined to say how many officers will join those patrols, or what strategy his department will use to safeguard its citizens.
That reassurance likely won't bring much comfort, particularly to people who live closest to the areas hit Sunday.
Bridge Street resident Gerald Budgar, who said he could smell "that awful charred stench" in the night, said he is seeing the toll a history of suspicious fires has taken on the neighborhood he's lived in his whole life.
"I go out and people stop you and you can tell from their tone of voice they're terrified - this is no longer, 'Oh, just an unfortunate thing.' People are downright terrified," said Budgar, president of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Association. "They really have to find the perpetrator. When you have that feeling out there, it's pretty ugly."
Budgar said that as he went about his day in the neighborhood Sunday, he was overwhelmed at the scope of the damage as he came upon roadblocks while investigators did their work.
"You get a sense of the enormity of this," he said.
Meanwhile, two families are left homeless, and Mayor Clare Higgins said the local Red Cross will be accepting donations to help them starting at 9 a.m. today.
Hard work starts
Officials said the hard work is just beginning in terms of the fire investigation, and several officials at the press conference noted how difficult it is to crack arson cases - and how important it is for residents to be active by being alert and vigilant.
"This is a very difficult crime to solve," said Gov. Deval Patrick, who traveled to Northampton to attend the press conference Sunday inside the Northampton Fire Department.
Scheibel, flanked by Patrick, Higgins, Coan, Sienkiewicz, At-Large City Councilor James Dostal, Northampton Fire Chief Brian Duggan and top state police brass, declined to release many details about the fires and the investigation under way to solve them, saying to do so would jeopardize their work.
Scheibel did confirm that two people who died in the fire at the 17 Fair St. fire that was reported at 2:11 a.m. were found by firefighters on the first floor of the home.
According to officials, over a span of 75 minutes, from 2 a.m. to 3:15, Northampton's emergency dispatchers took calls reporting nine separate fires, all deemed suspicious, which damaged five structures and several cars.
One firefighter received minor injuries, according to Scheibel.
String of reports
The first fire, reported at 2 a.m., struck the home of Glenn Siegel and Laura Seftel at 26 Union St., leaving the structure ruined.
Calls came in quickly after that, summoning help to combat fires on Highland Avenue, Fair Street, Northern Avenue, Crescent Street (near its intersection with Summer Street) and Williams Street. It is possible that there were attempts to set other fires, though officials on Sunday could not say how many.
Scheibel said a joint agency task force has been established made up of state, federal and local police investigators and firefighters under the direction of the Northwestern District Attorney's office. Its purpose, she said, is "to ensure the speedy apprehension of the individual or individuals" responsible for the fires.
She said investigators are treating each fire separately, and to suggest that the fires are connected to each other - or to the string of suspicious fires reported over the last couple of years in Ward 3 - is premature. "They may or may not be related and to say they are related would be pure speculation," Scheibel said.
Patrick sought Sunday to reassure city residents that all the state's investigative resources are being brought to bear on the case. "We know this community is deeply shaken by these fires," the governor said.
Looking over into a nearby truck bay at dozens of firefighters assembled, Patrick credited them with working through the night to prevent even more tragedy, and addressed them directly.
"I know you are tired and we are grateful to you," he said to the firefighters, many standing at the ready with fire gear on, suspenders hanging at their sides.
Higgins credited the responding fire departments for helping the community "even under this extraordinary stress," and called on all city residents to help each other in several ways.
If a neighbor needs help installing a porch light or removing debris that could be flammable, she asked, then help them. And, she said, doors and windows on dwellings should be secured.
"I know we like to think of our community as safe, but right now we need to lock our cars so there's no opportunity for someone to throw a match in a car and start a fire," the mayor said.
She - as did other officials - also called on residents to report tips to police investigators.
"We need you to call if you see anything that looks suspicious or out of line," said Higgins.
She also thanked Patrick for responding with his pledge of support from the state. "We're going to need a lot of help from a lot of different levels of government."
