Coatesville fire spurs emergency declaration

Reeling from another suspicious overnight fire, Coatesville officials declared a state of emergency today.

The blaze began about 11:30 last night in the rear of a home in the middle of the 300 block of Fleetwood Street. It spread quickly, causing damage estimated at nearly $2 million and leaving dozens homeless, said Kristin Geiger, a city spokeswoman. All residents were evacuated safely, she said.

Geiger said the fire was so destructive that officials have not yet ruled it an arson; however, they called it "suspicious in nature and consistent with" the 13 unsolved arsons that have plagued the city since the beginning of the year.

Kareem Johnson was one of at least four members of the seven-member City Council who went to the scene, he said.

"I couldn't believe how fast it spread," Johnson said, describing residents as dazed, shocked and angry. "The heat was intense."

The fire required assistance from 25 departments in Chester, Montgomery and Lancaster Counties, said City Manager Harry Walker.

Because most of the fires have been traced to outside trash cans and furniture, residents have been urged to clear their porches. Geiger said the state of emergency will enable city officials to remove whatever they deem "dangerous."

Walker said city officials are working nonstop to do whatever they can to stop the crimes, which he called "as brazen as it gets."

He said the city, which has already been distributing smoke detectors and batteries, will purchase motion-detector lights in bulk and make them available to residents at a reduced rate.

"We may even pass an ordinance requiring porch lights," he said. "If we have to light up the whole city, we'll do that."