In Pembroke Pines Century Village, a community of mostly retirees, someone has been quietly setting fire to everyday items in public places.
Bulletin boards and a trash can in laundry rooms, toilet paper in a women's restroom near the swimming pool, a garden hose in a storage closet.
More than 15 fires have been set since 2001.
''Somebody has got a mission of some sort,'' said state fire marshal's Lt. Joseph Schwartz.
Whatever the mission, it is a mystery to local investigators and to residents of the sprawling, 20-year-old community of 13,000 at Pines Boulevard and Flamingo Road.
Most of the fires have been small, and smoldering. No one has been hurt. But that provides little comfort to residents or fire investigators.
''I don't like to know people are going around starting fires in Century Village,'' said Virginia Picchine, who spotted smoke coming out of a laundry room and went in to extinguish the embers on a bulletin board.
``If they start in the laundry room, how do you know where they will go to next?''
The bulletin boards, generally in the laundry rooms, contain innocuous notices for handymen, used furniture and upcoming meetings. For some reason, they have drawn the most attention. At least 10 bulletin boards have been set afire.
''We can feel confident these are arsons because usually bulletin boards don't spontaneously combust,'' said Pembroke Pines police Cmdr. Keith Palant.
How someone could set more than 15 fires -- often in broad daylight -- without being seen is a question that investigators are pondering.
''As of now, we have no suspects,'' Palant said. He said he was not certain whether one person was setting the fires. ``We looked at lots of people. We haven't focused on any suspects.''
Pembroke Pines police have asked other agencies for help with the investigation.
Schwartz, of the state fire marshal's office, speculated that the fires were being set by someone who lives or works in the complex who has a grudge against management.
Century Village is a gated community where visitors must be invited in. The development is virtually its own town with synagogues, swimming pools and a clubhouse where residents can gather to play cards or watch movies.
It doesn't surprise Picchine that no one has spotted the fire-setter in action.
''People here don't pay much attention to who is coming in and out,'' said Picchine, 76.
``They are elderly people, they mostly stay in. . . . Unless they are washing their clothes, they don't go into the laundry room.''
The fires don't appear to match common arsonist profiles. The most common motive for arson is revenge or profit, Schwartz said. And it is odd for someone to repeatedly set the same type of fire, he said.
Usually, firebugs move up, he said.
``You will start with a brush fire, then Dumpster fire, vacant house fire.''
Investigators have released few details about the fires.
On June 13, someone lit up bulletin boards in a half-dozen buildings. A security guard made a report about 6:45 p.m.
Residents have called in fires in the morning, afternoon and evening.
Marvin Rietberg, 72, suspects that he just missed the person who set fire to a bulletin board in his building last year.
''It seems like somebody is just getting a kick out of annoying people,'' he said.
``I would think, by this point, somebody would have seen or know something. . . . This is a little unsettling.''
