Police and fire officials in Cohoes are on high alert after a string of suspicious fires.They don't have any suspects yet - so they're asking residents for help in the investigation.
Cohoes Police are now chatting with Troy Police because the Collar City is having the same problem.
With about six fires in each city, we’re glad to report no one has been hurt.
But we did talk to a family that lost almost everything in one of these suspicious fires.
“I'm thinking maybe they are just out to hurt us, I don't know,” said fire victim Jenny Larrick.
For Jenny and her daughter, Tashawna Daniel, there are so many unanswered questions.
With tears in her eyes, Jenny said, “I don't know what to do, I don't know where to go.”
Tashawna is overwhelmed by what could have happened.
“My daughter has asthma, what if we never woke up,” she said.
A Tuesday morning fire at their Congress Street home is the latest of about six suspicious fires in Cohoes since late April.
As of Thursday, officials hadn’t had much luck in their investigation.
“Right now it's tough because they're doing it in the middle of the night, nobody is seeing anything, and then the evidence burns up,” explained Cohoes Fire Chief Joseph Fahd.
Jenny is convinced the fire at her home was set intentionally. She says whoever did it tried to spark flames Monday - but they didn't succeed until Tuesday morning.
“We thought someone was walking down the alleyway and flicked a cigarette and it caught the stairs, but the next morning it happened again, worse,” Jenny explained.
Chief Fahd says with each fire, the MO is the same.
“They all seem to be started in the same manner, something stuck under the siding of the housing,” he said.
Across the river, there’s a similar story.
Officials in Troy are also investigating a string of fires in their city.
Police have confirmed that at least one of those fires was arson.
“It’s sad, I hope they find who did it, I really do,” Jenny said.
Authorities in both cities are asking for the public's help, they want residents to be on high alert for any unusual activity in their neighborhoods.
“They’re the best eyes and ears we have out there,” Chief Fahd said.
As for Jenny and Tashawna, they'll try to salvage what they can, but with a possible arsonist on the loose, they're having a tough time moving forward.
“We don't even want to come back here, because it might happen again, who knows,” Jenny said.
Jenny and Tashawna are staying at a motel Thursday night – they say, after that, they’re not sure where they’ll go.
Cohoes Police Chief Bill Heslin tells us investigators are looking over some video from a nearby business and hope that will give them some leads.
If you see anything suspicious in your neighborhood, call detectives at 233-2146.
If you have any general information, call the tips line at 233-2161.
