Two fires in two months on Cherry Street were two too many for April Paulus, who calls the street her home.
The March 3 fire at 1137 Cherry St. left 11-year-old Justin Hunley with burns over 90 percent of his body. The fire appears to have been deliberately set, fire officials say.
The May 5 fire at Cherry and 13th streets ravaged two structures and damaged a third, and five families were displaced. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of that fire.
After talking about the fires with neighbors, Paulus decided to do something about their concerns. She contacted the Casper Fire Department to set up a meeting to discuss the fires and what area residents could do, she said.
Paulus and a few others distributed about 300 flyers in the area bounded by West Collins Drive, Poplar Street, 15th Street and Cypress Street, she said.
About 60 residents attended Monday's meeting at McKinley School, at Cherry and 14th streets, where Dale Anderson of the Casper Fire Department reviewed the progress of the investigations, dispelled rumors and answered questions.
The fire at 1137 Cherry St., was set on the back porch, Anderson said.
Gasoline was poured in the area, and the fire probably was started by a lighted match, he said.
This fire is being investigated by the Casper police and fire departments, the State Fire Marshal, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the insurance company of the owner of the house, he said.
While the fire appears to have been set, Anderson would not go so far as to say it was caused by an arsonist. Arson is very hard to prove, he said.
Nor is there any connection between the two fires on Cherry Street, or to the April 19 fire that destroyed the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant at 4100 E. Second St., he said.
The streak of three suspicious fires in two months is unusual, but probably coincidental, Anderson said. "I hope it's just a streak of bad luck," he said.
The second Cherry Street fire started outside and on the back side of a fence by an apartment complex, Anderson said.
The Fire Department's efforts to determine the cause of the second fire and how it spread have been unsuccessful so far, and the samples from the fire sent for testing to an out-of-state lab have not come back yet, he said. Wyoming does not have a lab to do this kind of sophisticated testing for fires, he said.
Anderson urged neighbors to pick up trash around their houses because that kind of fuel is tempting for someone who wants to set a fire.
He urged people to watch their surroundings, write down license numbers of unusual vehicles, look outside if they hear their dogs barking at night and note descriptions of people they see walking in the neighborhood late at night.
Participants at the meeting wondered if they should get surveillance cameras or install extra lighting at their houses.
Anderson didn't object to those ideas, but noted that the second fire started about 6 p.m. during daylight.
He repeatedly urged the neighbors not to connect the two fires, be patient with the investigations and to steer clear of rumors -- especially rumors about an arsonist starting the fires.
Emotions and suspicions are running high, and people should be aware of that, Anderson said. "You're going to be on edge," he said.
Anderson complimented Paulus for setting up the meeting and told the area residents to contact the Casper Police Department if they want to set up a neighborhood watch program.
The Casper Fire Department has been placing extra patrols on the Cherry Street neighborhood, he said.
"We're here," Anderson said. "We care about your neighborhood."
