Fires have Schenectady officials suspicious

PHOTOGRAPHER: Justin Mason

Officials are investigating a string of four suspicious fires that occurred across the city over the past week, including one that emptied Schenectady High School on Election Day.

In total, Fire Chief Michael Della Rocco said crews have responded to a half-dozen significant fires over the past week. Of those, he said, four are still considered suspicious.

A $500 reward is now being offered for information leading to an arrest in a fire that broke out at 1033 Forest Road on Sunday. Della Rocco said firefighters put up reward posters on the burned-out building this week and have already received several tips.

The fire broke out in the vacant two-story, wood-frame structure about 3:15 a.m. A crew of 26 firefighters had the fire under control in about two hours.

“We feel it’s an incendiary fire,” Della Rocco said

Fire also scorched an occupied building at 106 McClellan St. on Nov. 6, forcing the evacuation of six people. The following day, a blaze broke out in an unoccupied brick building at 873 Strong St., causing significant damage.

The fire at the high school Nov. 8 was enough to fill part of the building with smoke, prompting an evacuation of both students and voters for more than two hours. That small arson was limited to a bathroom trash can.

“We’re taking it very seriously,” Della Rocco said.

He said there’s no indication that the fires are linked, but the level of fire activity over the past week has been relatively high.

“It has been a little more than normal,” he said.