‘I’m worried it’s only the beginning’: String of fires has Temple, Texas residents fearing an arsonist
TEMPLE, Texas (KWTX) - A string of fires has residents worried an arsonist could be targeting homes.
Old Howard Road is where the Temple Fire Department said firefighters have responded to recent blazes that remain under investigation.
Shortly after 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 19, Temple Fire and Rescue responded to a call off Old Howard Rd. and arrived to find dozens of hay bales burning on the side just inside the property gate.
It was just one in a string of recent calls.
“There have been a couple other ones in the area,” said Santos Soto, the public information officer with Temple Fire and Rescue.
“I know in addition to the hay bales that were on fire, there was also I believe and old structure the guys responded to.”
It was an old, abandoned house just down the street from where the hay bales burned.
Either one of these fires could have been a lot worse.
“Outdoor conditions, to include things such as the wind, can blow that fire and move it rapidly towards other vegetation and also other structures,” said Soto. “Not to mention, the amount of embers that can come off of those hay bales and start up fires elsewhere.”
The daughter of the property owner whose hay bales burned posted on social media that she believes someone is setting the fires intentionally
“Super frustrated that we have such a small close-knit community and someone is going around and doing this in the midst of neighbors, people, family, and animals,” said Jessie Oestreich, daughter of the property owner whose hay bales burned.
Her fear is that these fires are only the beginning.
“When do they amp it up and set something else on fire that might have actual human collateral,” said Oestreich.
Whether the fires are arson or not is under investigation, but one thing is clear, they are putting people are risk.
“Obviously it can damage and destroy people’s property,” said Soto. “It can damage and destroy people’s houses. You know, arson is a crime. If anybody has any information on any of that stuff, obviously that can report that.”
Even though Temple Fire and Rescue responded to these fires, they were located outside city limits and because Bell County does not have Fire Marshall at the moment, the State Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating.
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