Fire Cheif declares Morgan street fire to be arson

The fire which engulfed 21 Morgan Street Feb. 28, claiming the lives of two Oberlin citizens, has been declared arson.

According to Oberlin Fire Chief Dennis Kirin, laboratory tests conclusively eliminated all accidental causes.

The 21 Morgan Street fire was the most devastating of a string of fires that gripped Oberlin at the beginning of the year. Three other homes were seriously damaged by fire, although Kirin said those incidents were clearly not arsons.

Kirin said no suspect has been identified yet.

Tom Steeley of Universal Investigative Agency in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, said arsonists strike for many different reasons.

"There are hate crimes, and there's arson for money," Steeley said. "Some are firebugs. They get sexually involved. They're really weird. And some have the hero complex. It's a whole different language, arson talk. Give me a week, and I'll teach you how to do the talk."

Kirin said arson is more prevalent than some Oberlin residents might think.

"When you have something prominent in the media, every time a truck goes by, everyone asks, 'where was the fire?' The reality is moderate sized cities could have one every day," Kirin said. "We don't start them, we just deal with them."

The fire at 21 Morgan Street was preceded by a few dumpster fires. Kirin rejected the theory that the fires were set as a diversionary tactic.

Kirin said, "Maybe it's just coincidence. Maybe it's related because they started with the dumpsters, and then tried something else, and it didn't work out the way they thought because they never ever meant for that to happen."

Kirin said although catching an arsonist is never an easy task, nearly all suspected arsonists are convicted.