DENVER --
Several firefighters finished 24-hours shifts Monday to find the tires on their personal vehicles flat, apparently slashed or punctured with a knife.
A total of nine vehicles, from cars to SUV's, had been vandalized between Sunday night and 7:30 a.m. Monday.
"Unfairly, and we seem to be targeted today. I mean, we've been hit before, obviously. We've been involved in these types of incidents," said Lt. Phil Champagne, Denver Fire Department spokesman. "This certainly doesn't appear random at all."
The distance between firehouses suggests someone spent at least an hour driving between the four separate locations, investigators said.
Fire station No. 11 at Second Avenue and Broadway No. 24 at Yale Avenue and Colorado Blvd., No. 28 at Quincy Avenue and Sheridan Blvd. and No. 30 at Belleview Avenue and Dudley Street were involved.
At No. 30, three other Denver city vehicles -- one a traffic engineer's marked car and two other unmarked Denver police vehicles -- were slashed as well.
"You know, one could speculate, surmise, you know, conjecture (that) an ex-employee (could do it). Nobody knows. You know, in this case, we're certainly not ruling anything out," Lt. Champagne said.
Several city employees spent the Martin Luther King Day changing flat tires and buying new ones, including the newest hire at station No. 24.
"The lowest, bottom of the pay scale has to replace four tires on his vehicle. We're all confronted with that. You just don't expect that at a fire station," Lt. Champagne said.
Co-workers there brought four personal vehicles inside the fire station garage on Monday to reduce their vulnerability to vandalism.
Police detectives from two different districts said they would compare notes.
Traffic surveillance cameras may also be accessed to look for a common vehicle.
Investigators said they hope a witness will come forward with a key tip.
