Philadelphia police are searching for a 37-year-old man wanted for arson in connection with two fires at an abandoned rowhouse in West Philadelphia where dozens of one-gallon jugs of gasoline had been found last week.
On Aug. 1, the more-than 150 gallons of gas were found stashed in plastic gallon containers on the first floor of an abandoned, partially burned-out rowhome on the 100 block of North 59th Street, police said.
Officials called the gas discovery "very dangerous" and "very bizarre."
Shortly after 9 a.m. on Tuesday, a fire broke out at the rowhome. It was unclear what caused the flames to begin. Firefighters had the fire under control shortly before noon, but a family of seven were forced to evacuate because of the blaze. Two other adjacent rowhomes were also being investigated for fire damage.
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Then, on Sunday, a second fire, neighbors said.
On Monday, police asked the public for their help Monday locating Darren Arnold, 37, from the 100 block of North 59th Street. He's wanted for arson and related charges for the recent incidents.
"Everybody is a bit on edge right now until this guy is caught," Michael Nichols told NBC10.
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Neighbors said the man whose mother owns the house was standing outside the home last Monday night drinking a beer. The mother, neighbors say, is in a nursing home. The man was questioned by police the night the gasoline was found in the home, according to officials.
The man was spotted in the area by neighbors again early on Sunday morning, they said, shortly after the second fire in the back of the rowhome.
The man used to live in the house before it first caught fire in March of this year, police said. It has been vacant since then. Three houses in total were damaged by Tuesday's fire.
Firefighters said that all of the gas jugs had been removed shortly after their discovery.
Investigators found the jugs on Aug 1. after police received a 911 call for a strong smell of gasoline coming from inside the residence around 8 p.m.
SkyForce10 was overhead as hazmat crews responded to the scene shortly after.
“A very volatile, dangerous situation for 154 gallons [of gasoline], all in separate one-gallon milk containers, inside of a property, in a residential neighborhood – what a fire hazard that is,” Small said.
Small said the man was in the area at the time of the discovery, and he's known to frequent the property.
Officials said the Philadelphia police and fire departments as well as the ATF will conduct a joint investigation to see why the more-than 154 jugs of gasoline were in the home, how they were acquired, and how the fire happened Tuesday.
“Is it stolen? Was it possibly going to be used for arson?" Small said about the gasoline. "We’re not certain at this time."
Detectives were also looking into the possibility the gas may have been for sale.
No injuries were reported Monday night or Tuesday morning, officials said.
If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Arnold, Philadelphia police asked you contact the Southwest Detectives Division at 215-686-3183/3184 or 911.
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