PHOENIX (AP) -- Fires that destroyed two homes under construction in Paradise Valley could have been set by juveniles and not eco-terrorists.
The fires set Wednesday morning caused an estimated $3 million in damages and came as city officials are reviewing residential redevelopment standards that could curb the size of new homes.
One of the homes was in the initial framing stages of construction, while the other was a renovation.
Paradise Valley has seen a rise in large-scale new homes and teardown renovations in recent years.
Investigators with the Maricopa County arson task force believe the fires could have been impulsive crimes of opportunity, rather than the work of an eco-terrorist protesting urban sprawl.
''We have no direct evidence linking the two fires,'' said Josh Friedman, a detective with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and chairman of the arson task force. ''But we're highly suspicious that the fires were set by the same person or the same people.''
Three upscale Paradise Valley homes, each under construction or renovation, have burned in the past three years in suspected arsons.
Information from: The Arizona Republic
Copyright 2005 Associated Press
