Citizens express fear, anger at Coatesville arson meeting

TrevAnn Guldan doesn't really care who the serial arsonists are. She just wants them caught, and to be able to sleep without worrying that her family will be cooked alive - the next victims of whoever has been torching dozens of Coatesville homes in the dead of night without any apparent motive.

"We go to bed with our most precious possessions next to our bed so we can grab them," said Guldan, a dog-groomer who lives on Pennsylvania Avenue with her husband and two sons.

"Every night, you wonder if tonight's the night your porch is going to be set on fire," said Guldan, 55, who was among the hundreds of bleary-eyed Coatesville residents who descended on Gordon Elementary School last night for an emergency town-hall meeting to discuss the rash of arsons that has terrorized the Chester County community.

As the roads were beginning to freeze outside, tempers were flaring in the packed auditorium, where residents told government officials that they want more information. One man said that cops should also be investigated as possible suspects.

"We all just want them caught, and I'll tell you, the men of this town feel that because the city doesn't appear to be helping, they want to take matters into their own hands," Guldan said. "They say, 'If someone is on my front porch, God help them.' "

Coatesville has recorded 30 arsons since the beginning of 2008, including a December fire that killed an 83-year-old woman. Police arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with the December case, but homes are still going up in flames.

Fourteen arsons have occurred this month alone, prompting Gov. Rendell to devote additional state-police resources to the city. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also assisting in the investigation.

Last weekend, the arsonists - police believe it is more than one person - set a fire that ripped through 15 Fleetwood Street rowhouses, including that of Councilwoman Robin Scott. The four-alarm blaze drew fire companies from four counties and caused nearly $2 million in damage. Dozens of residents are still living in hotels.

A Tuesday-night trash fire behind a house was also ruled an arson yesterday, but the homeowner was able to extinguish it before it caused any damage, according to ATF spokesman John Hageman.

Chester County District Attorney Joseph Carroll told the crowd last night that "all law-enforcement agencies that can possibly be involved" are trying to catch the firebugs, but he said that he couldn't divulge specific details of the investigation.

"I'm proceeding tonight with the assumption that the arsonist or arsonists are here in this room," Carroll said, adding that such criminals sometimes take pleasure in watching the "fallout" from their destruction.

Carroll has suggested that the arsonists may have a gripe against the local government because they are striking only within the city limits, despite the intense investigation. The 1.6-mile steel town has a population of about 11,500.

Investigators are also looking into whether the fires are tied to gang initiations, and are examining videos that have been posted online.

Police Chief William Matthews pleaded with residents to report any suspicious activity and to keep their porch lights on at night.

"It provides the opportunity for each of us to look out our windows at any given time and spot the person who is setting these fires," Matthews said.

"We can get through this together," he said. "We can be a stronger community." *