From takomabibelot on Flickr
Local news outlets, blogs, and listservs have been reporting on a frightening development in our neighborhood. According to WJLA, “Investigators are looking into a series of suspicious fires in a Capitol Hill neighborhood. Residents say there have been three fires in dumpsters or recycling bins in the last four weeks in an alley behind 3rd Street Southeast.”
Residents have also taken to the MPD-1D and PSA105 Listservs to report their experiences and share their concerns.
As the City Paper noted, the last time we experienced an outbreak of trash can fires on the Hill was around the time of the Eastern Market fire. In addition, most of us remember the fires (in 2005 and 2007) that did significant damage to Capitol Lounge, and in the latter instance, the Trover Shop. Both fires were ruled accidental (the result of wayward cigarettes in alley trashcans), but unfortunately they all highlight the sad history our neighborhood has had with fires damaging our homes and local institutions.