BFD reports 3rd arson this year

Bloomington firefighters revisited the Midland Cut Stone site for the third reported arson case of the year Friday.

An unoccupied building in the 1600 block of South Huntington Drive was ablaze with seven fire trucks arriving close to midnight, BFD Battalion Chief Jeff Kerr said.

Firefighters responded to the same building on Feb. 3 and 4 for two intentional fires. The witness who reported the Feb. 3 fire said a man in an orange hat and dark coat was walking in the area shortly after the building caught fire.

“Given the number of arson reports, we suspect it was intentionally set,” Bloomington Police Department Sgt. Joe Crider said.

The second arson case of the year happened about 1100 feet south of the first and third arson cases in an empty house under construction in the 1000 block of East Miller Drive.

The last fire truck left the Midland Cut Stone site around 1 a.m. Saturday. The arson is still under investigation.

Dennis Barbosa