An early morning fire damaged a Duluth garage Wednesday - the second suspicious fire in a matter of days.
Investigators determined that Friday's fire at 5 S. 58th Ave. W. was arson, Assistant Fire Chief Erik Simonson said. Wednesday's fire at 116 W. Fifth St. is under investigation and appears suspicious, he said.
A passerby reported Wednesday fire about 1 a.m. The blaze caused an estimated $15,000 in damages to the two-car garage and one vehicle.
Friday's fire caused an estimated $20,000 in damage. Crews responded to that blaze at 12:47 a.m. On arrival, firefighters found a vehicle burning inside the garage and extinguished the fire.
"There was no accidental cause for it," Deputy Fire Marshal John Edwards said of Friday's fire, which started outside the garage.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Twin Ports saw a string of arson of suspicious fires last year, mainly in late April and May. On May 22, 2012, firefighters in the two cities fought six separate blazes in the early morning hours. Three of the fires were within blocks of one another in West Duluth. In late July another suspected arson fire occurred just blocks away from those three.
