Police investigate fires at apartment complex

PALMER — Police are investigating a cluster of suspicious fires around an apartment complex.

The fires were reported Friday at the white apartment buildings — referred to on rental agreements as Cocoa Palms — at 305 N. Valley Way. So what’s suspicious about them? Well, frankly, it’s suspicious that there was more than one.

“It’s a little coincidental that there was three separate spots. But, again, we haven’t found any evidence that anyone was trying to intentionally burn the buildings down,” said Cmdr. Lance Ketterling with the Palmer Police Department.

He said he didn’t investigate the scene so he couldn’t say if buildings were scorched or just grass. Police having arrested anyone but say anyone with information should call Palmer PD at 745-4811.

This is at least the second suspicious fire investigation opened in Palmer in recent months. Back in August the old Matanuska Maid warehouse building burned to the ground under very suspicious circumstances. The building had been boarded up without electricity or gas running to it and no other obvious ignition source.

“The Mat Maid fire is still under investigation and Det. Sgt. (Shayne) LaCroix is still working on that,” Ketterling said. “We don’t have any new information to release.”

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.