By Linda Spice
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

MILWAUKEE — For the fourth time in a month, a Milwaukee firefighter was injured Monday battling a suspected arson fire that could just as easily have turned deadly.

"This arson thing is really getting carried away," said Milwaukee Battalion 1 Fire Chief Salvatore Santoro, after the morning's potentially deadly arson.

Police are investigating Monday's fire, the latest among at least three suspected arsons since early May. Fire Department figures show another six building fires between Jan. 1 and April 30 were referred to police as suspicious.

Monday's blaze destroyed a vacant, 2 1/2 -story home at 2128-30 N. 39th St. that was damaged by another suspected arson fire just last week. Santoro was disturbed to find the back stairs of the structure among the targets of the burn. That restricted firefighters' access to the building, which sustained an estimated $94,000 in damage as flames rushed through the first and second floors and through the attic.

One firefighter was treated at the scene after becoming overheated fighting the fire, which was called in before 6 a.m.

"I think they want to hurt firefighters," he said of the unknown arsonist or arsonists. "It just gave me that impression. We go to the back door. Why would you take up the stairs so firefighters couldn't get up there? The entire back stairway to the back door was burned out. Whatever accelerant they used appeared to be quite a bit."

Milwaukee Fire Chief Doug Holton said the fires in the last few months have been more advanced and more are occurring in vacant buildings.

"These fires are very dangerous fires if they are intentionally set," Holton said. "The time that they're burning is unknown."

Holton said he has been in talks recently with Police Chief Edward Flynn about getting the Fire Department more closely involved with investigating the origin and cause of fires as part of 2009 budget talks. The Police Department currently takes the primary role in investigating arsons.

Two firefighters were injured fighting a suspected arson fire on May 22 at 2416 N. 2nd St. when Anthony Rueda, 24, and Capt. Theodore Stribling, 48, fell through the floor of the burning home. On May 7, another firefighter suffered minor burns on the west side fire during another suspected arson for which two 12-year-olds were later taken into custody.

Battalion 2 Fire Chief Tom Jones said someone setting a fire might think it's a crime against property, but it can easily turn deadly.

"If any one of our firefighters gets hurt, it can be a felony act, no matter what extent the damage," he said. "They have potential to kill firemen."

If someone were killed in an arson fire, that could be considered a homicide, and would be investigated as such, said Lt. Thomas Welch of the Milwaukee Police Department's Criminal Investigation Bureau.

Fire officials said arson fires affect neighborhoods as well. Monday's blaze caused about $5,000 damage to the siding of a house next door.

Tinka Mabry, who owns the N. 39th St. property, was thankful no neighbors were hurt. She said she works as a certified nursing assistant at Froedtert Hospital and bought the house in December on a $68,000 loan with her fiance, Terrell Harris. They had planned to rehab and rent out the house, she said.

Part of the house burned in another suspected arson May 27, and she worried whether it could be repaired. She was scheduled to talk with her insurance agent at 9:30 a.m. Monday, she said, but by then the house was destroyed.

This time she was worried about whether police suspicion would turn to her after her property had two fires within a week. She denies any involvement.

"It looked crazy," said Mabry, 32. "I said, 'You know what? They're going to think the worst.' Who wouldn't?"

She said she's not that kind of person.

"I'm a hard worker. I have three kids. That's the last thing I would do to jeopardize my family."

Copyright 2008, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel