Chicago police are warning residents in some North Side neighborhoods to be on alert for a suspected arsonist targeting Halloween decorations.
Another porch fire has been reported in Lincoln Square, the latest in a string of suspicious blazes in the area, police said.
Since the beginning of the month, multiple fires have been reported in Lincoln Square and North Center, some targeting Halloween decorations. At least two fires have been classified as arson by the Chicago Police Department.
Someone set fire to a porch in the 2200 block of West Ainslie Street around 2 a.m. Saturday, police said. It’s unclear whether the latest blaze is related to the recent reported arsons on the porches of homes.
Police wouldn’t say if Halloween decorations were targeted in the most recent fire or if it was being investigated as possible arson. It’s currently classified as noncriminal damage to property from a fire, police said.
Last week, four people were displaced in North Center after a fire was set on a decorative hay bale on a porch, charring the sides of the house and setting neighbors on edge.
“It’s upsetting to feel like in the middle of the night, out of your control, something like this can happen,” a neighbor of the displaced family told the Chicago Sun-Times last week, adding that some of her neighbors considered taking down their decorations.
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