EmergencyNet News "Instant Updates," News Briefs


PHOENIX, AZ:

FBI Joins Hunt For Phoenix Arsonist

Another new house in Phoenix went up in flames on Wednesday. Although Phoenix Fire Department officials hadn't yet determined the cause of the blaze, it fits the profile they've seen in seven other fires since January 1998. On Thursday, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force joined in the investigation conducted by Phoenix fire and police departments. The task force's assistance could include intelligence resources, laboratory work and/or profiling services.

Investigators spent all day Thursday searching the area surrounding the 7,000-square-foot, burned-out home by Lookout Mountain near 11th Street and Coral Gables Drive. Wednesday's blaze was the third to destroy a luxury home in the same area in the past 11 days. In order for the FBI to have full jurisdiction, the case would have to be classified as domestic terrorism and would likely be tried in federal court. At least some investigators and analysts are currently suggesting that the series of fires may be associated with radical environmental groups or individuals....

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