El Pasoans Worried About Arsonist Burning Down Homes

El Paso firefighters say county-wide there’s been a recent surge in house fires. Twelve of them were still under construction and many of them are suspected to be arson.

ABC-7 went out to a far east El Paso neighborhood that’s been the target of some of those recent house fires. Even though its been about week since the last fire, neighbors say they’re still shaken up by the fires.

Burned wood, melted plastic, and smoke-stained walls are still in the neighborhood.

Seven homes under construction have gone up in flames since May 20 – all of them within blocks of each other near Zaragoza and Rich Beem.

At first, Angela Pedraza was shaken that an arson fire hit right across the street.

Weeks later, it’s still affecting her.

“I don’t sleep at night,” she said.

Every day that goes by without an arrest, she thinks, what if?

“That could have been us. We could have died from smoke inhalation, you know,” said Pedraza, who admits she’s become paranoid. “The other night I saw a Time Warner employee working on the box over there. I called Time Warner (and asked,) ‘is it normal for people to be working at midnight?’ You know, you just don’t know. And they were, ‘we have people working there,’ but you just don’t know.”

Pedraza said she is becoming suspicious of not only everyone, but everything around the neighborhood.

“Constantly looking out the window, I look through the door, if I see any cars, light anything,” said Pedraza.

El Paso fire marshals said they are still investigating. If you have any information you are asked to call 771-1090.