Duplex fire investigated as suspicious; 1 taken to hospital

A fire Thursday in Springdale.
A fire Thursday in Springdale.

SPRINGDALE — Firefighters put out a duplex fire Thursday afternoon they believe was intentionally set, said Kevin McDonald, Fire Department assistant chief.

“There’s a lot of ‘suspicious nature’ to this fire,” McDonald said.

One man was taken to a hospital with injuries after firefighters arrived at 2:10 p.m. Thursday to fight a fire at 1101 Backus Ave., No. 1, McDonald said.

McDonald said he did not think man’s injuries are severe. He had no update on the man’s condition.

Firefighters suspect the man taken to the hospital is the person who set the fire, McDonald said. The man has a criminal history, he said.

Neighbors also told firefighters the man’s wife and child may have left two days ago, McDonald said.

The fire started in one of the two bedrooms of the duplex and spread into the hall, McDonald said. Two men were in the other unit at the time the fire started but escaped without injury, he said.

The side of the duplex where the fire started was severely damaged, McDonald said. The unit is no longer inhabitable and has about $30,000 in damages, McDonald said.

The other unit had only smoke damage and is inhabitable, he said.

McDonald did not release the name of the man Thursday and referred questions about the man to police.

Police spokesman Lt. Derek Wright did not answer a voice message left on his cell phone around 4:30 p.m. or an email as of 5 p.m.

Firefighters were still on scene around 4 p.m., looking for the cause of the fire, McDonald said. The incident is under investigation, he said.

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