Investigation underway after house fires ruled arson

JACKSON, Tenn. — A long night for the Jackson Fire Department started at a house on North Royal Street, where they responded to a call of a fire around 10:15 p.m.

“We encountered some difficulties in putting this fire out because of the amount of storage that was inside the structure and actually stored on the front porch,” said Don Friddle, the Deputy Chief for the Jackson Fire Department.

Less than 30 minutes after they arrived at the scene, they received a call of another fire — this one on Fairmont Avenue, just a mile away.

Friddle said that multiple factors lead them to believe the two are connected.

“The fires occurred within 30 minutes of each other, both occurred within vacant houses, the point of origin for both of these fires was located on the exterior porches,” Friddle said. “Both of the houses did not have electrical service, so we can rule that out easily.”

Both fires were extinguished by 2 a.m.

No one was injured in either blaze. Now, a larger investigation is underway.

“We’re working this in conjunction with the Jackson Police Department, and also we’ve reached out to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation,” Friddle said.

Next week, a K9 unit will be at both structures, sniffing for accelerant.

In the meantime, Friddle urges residents to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious.