Third Suspicious Fire In Two Weeks Puts Harker Heights Neighborh - kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and Killeen

An overnight fire in Harker Heights has the whole neighborhood talking.

Brothers Patrick and Christian Morris watched the vacant house across the street from them burn to the ground between midnight and 1 a.m. Thursday morning.

"The flames were higher than these trees and there was like sparks all over here," Patrick points out a tree next to his home, burnt from a floating ember.

Sparks and flames threatened houses nearby, scorching at least one other home. The neighbor who called the fire dept. says that was her biggest worry.

"When I was on the phone with 911 I was grabbing the water hose. Turned the water hose on and was just trying to do whatever I could to make sure it didn't come my way cause that was my fear," Nora Anderson said.

On it's own, the fire is suspicious.

"If there's no electricity and there's no gas that doesn't leave a lot of ways for a fire to get started (on it's own)" said Harker Heights Fire Chief Jack Collier.

But two other fires, three days apart, burned down a trailer just up the street less than two weeks ago. Firefighters say they're confident those initial fires were arson. They had a person of interest in the case, but ruled that person out during the investigation.

Now they look for a possible connection between the first fires and the latest. They have no concrete suspects for any them.

The idea of a serial arsonist doesn't worry some folks around the neighborhood.

"We got a pit bull," shrugs neighbor Johnnie Williams.

But others hope their house isn't next.

"It really scares you, it makes you worry and just fearful," Anderson said.

"It aint a coincidence man, somebody's doing it," Morris said.

The chief says police will increase patrols in the area, and fire investigators will continue to look for clues.

Both Killeen Crimestoppers and the City of Harker Heights offer rewards, $1,000 and $250 respectively.

To contact Crimestoppers, call 254-526-8477 (TIPS).

To contact the city, call 254-699-2688.