Cars Set Ablaze In South El Paso Neighborhood

Fire officials said arson is behind six cars going up in flames Monday morning.

The cars were set on fire on the 3700 block of Findley Avenue, across from Chamizal National Memorial.

Some residents from the South El Paso neighborhood, who did not want to be identified, said they saw a man they know being detained by fire marshals.

Fire officials would neither confirm or deny that information and would only say they continue to investigate.

“Nothing ever happens here in our neighborhood, it’s always calm,” one neighbor said.

But at 4 a.m. Monday, there were huge flames, flashing lights and emergency crews in the small street.

“My son told me, ‘Dad, something smells burning, something smells burning,'” said the neighbor.

The man said there were two vehicles were in flames in front of one home.

“Both were on fire, big time. It was big bonfire, big time,” he said. Some of the neighbors said there was a sudden boom and that there were more cars. They said there was an explosion four more cars burst into flames down the street.

“We got scared. We thought, ‘What’s going on?’ I panicked,” one neighbor said.

E Paso Fire Department spokesman John Concha said the fires were intentionally set.

“What throws out a red flag is when you have six vehicles on fire, you know. That’s unusual.”

The fire worry the people in the neighborhood, who park their vehicles in front of their own homes.

“My son has a lowrider, so he’s scared, too. He’s at work right now.”

Concha said the man who was detained was arrested for unrelated traffic warrants.