Capital City Fire/Rescue and the Juneau Police Department are investigating a probable arson that occurred Sunday near an apartment on Willoughby Avenue.
“It was a small fire, but it caused approximately $1,000 in damage and it occurred near the stairway to a second floor apartment that was occupied at the time of the fire,” said CCFR Fire Marshal Dan Jager in an email. “In addition to the building occupied, there was video surveillance obtained from the business that shows an unidentified male stuffing paper into a cigarette disposal container and then using something to light the fire and leave.”
While the surveillance footage shows the actions of the suspect, his apparel and the quality of the recording make it difficult to determine his identity. The location, beneath an occupied apartment escalates the seriousness of the offense, Jager said.
Capital City Fire/Rescue and the Juneau Police Department are investigating a fire that occurred near an apartment on Willoughby Avenue on Oct. 25, 2020 as arson. (Courtesy photo / CCFR)
The Willoughby Avenue fire isn’t the only fire CCFR and JPD are currently investigating, Jager said.
“Myself and JPD are also working on four other vandalism/intentionally set fires in restrooms at various City and Borough of Juneau park areas in the [Mendenhall] Valley,” Jager said. “The damage was minimal due to them occurring in concrete rooms, however there was still a clean-up cost and staff time associated with these fires.”
A pair of vehicle arson cases, one from Skater’s Cabin, and a double-vehicle case from Out The Road are also under continued investigation, Jager said.
Anyone with information on these cases is asked to contact Jager at dan.jager@juneau.org or 907-586-0269.
• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at (757) 621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.
