Investigators say Saline fire was probably intentionally set
Debris is piled outside a home on Henry Street in Saline where investigators have been looking into a suspicious fire.
Art Aisner | For AnnArbor.com
Investigators with both the Saline police and fire departments stopped short of calling the fire at 99 W. Henry St. on Oct. 9 an arson. However, they and a fire investigator hired by the property owner’s insurance company said they believe there is no natural explanation for what sparked the blaze.
“Everyone concludes that there is no possible electrical or other accidental cause for this fire to start where it did,” Detective Don Lupi said.
There were no obvious signs of accelerants at the scene, but police reports show that investigators removed floor panels and other evidence from near where the fire is believed to have started for testing at a Michigan State Police crime lab. Lupi said there also were definite signs of forced entry.
No one was home at the time the fire started, and no one was injured.
The fire was reported by a neighbor who noticed a smoky haze outdoors near the home shortly after midnight, Saline Area Fire Chief Craig Hoeft said. Heavy smoked poured from open windows throughout the single-story home just south of Saline’s main downtown area when firefighters arrived, but they contained the blaze quickly. The resident’s cat escaped without injury.
Hoeft said there was significant smoke, charring and water damage throughout the house that exceeded $20,000. Investigators traced the origin to a spot in the central hallway near a linen closet that contained clothing and other items. Valuable electronic equipment remained intact, but authorities were uncertain if anything was stolen from the home prior to the fire, reports said.
Lupi said police received information about suspicious activity reported at the home in the days leading up to the fire, but he would not elaborate. They also learned the resident had been renting the home with her children for about a year and was in the midst of a divorce. Lupi would not discuss possible suspects.
The resident and her children have found temporary living arrangements while the house remains cordoned off for safety reasons.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Saline police at 734-429-7911, or e-mail Lupi at dlupi@cityofsaline.org.
Art Aisner is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530. For more Saline stories, visit out Saline page.