Fourteen fires were set in Camden in 48 hours near Parkside and Whitman Park neighborhoods, and now with residents losing sleep, police are asking everyone to keep their eyes open and remain vigilant.
"We don’t want any of our residents to get injured or God forbid killed as a result of these fires," Camden Fire Department Chief Michael Harper said.
Harper says the fires are being investigated as intentionally set fires, but the arsonist, or arsonists, remains unknown. The suspect(s) are gaining access to vacant homes through back windows and then igniting fires in various locations within the homes.
Landlords fear their vacant houses will be struck, houses that sit next to occupied homes. And although the fires have all been started during daylight, neighbors fear the attacker may strike at night.
“The person that lit this fire put peoples’ lives in jeopardy,” one Camden resident said.
Seven firefighters have been injured while fighting these flames, with one firefighter being hospitalized. Investigators are gathering samples of the accelerant for lab testing. A hotline has been set up, but officers emphasize the importance of residents being cautious and vigilant.
Anybody with information related to these fires is asked to call a hotline set up at 856-757-7042.
