Fire at vacant Hanover Street house deemed suspicious

A Monday night fire on Hanover Street was intentionally set, according to investigators with the Cape Girardeau police and fire departments.

A joint arson task force that includes both departments is investigating the fire, said Sgt. Jason Selzer, spokesman for the police department.

"We don't believe it was an accident," he said. Pending further analysis of evidence, the blaze could be classified as arson, he said.

Firefighters responded to the house at 534 S. Hanover St. at about 5:30 p.m. Monday. The blaze required all on-duty Cape Girardeau firefighters and help from Scott City, Jackson and off-duty Cape Girardeau firefighters.

Neighbors at the scene of the fire said no one has lived in the house for months. They said they saw flames shoot out of the back of the house after a popping sound.

Selzer said investigators were at the house Monday night and Tuesday collecting evidence and talking to witnesses. He would not say what type of evidence investigators found.

The fire caused about $60,000 in damage to the single-story structure.

More than 20 suspicious fires have occurred in Cape Girardeau since April 2005. More than a dozen have happened since January 2008. An April 2008 apartment fire on South Pacific Street resulted in the death of 42-year-old George Robinson.

Selzer said no evidence immediately linked Monday's fire to the others.

Many of the suspicious fires occurred on the south side of Cape Girardeau in unoccupied residences.

"Those things are all common factors," Selzer said. "To positively say they're linked, we're not ready to do that. But we're definitely not ruling that out."

abusch@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

534 S. Hanover St. Cape Girardeau, MO