Looking for the fire starter

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

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The fire started in the back bedroom of the apartment.

Two fires erupting one week apart at an apartment complex on Mascotte Street near the Port of Tampa has convinced Tampa Fire Rescue both have some kind of connection.

Last Tuesday night, Tampa Fire Rescue responded to a blaze in the first-floor apartment. The origin of that fire was reported in the back bedroom. None of the apartments in the building were livable afterward, so power was turned off and tenants moved out.

On Wednesday night, Tampa Fire was called to the same apartment building again to battle flames coming from the upstairs apartment. Fire investigators said that fire also started in a back bedroom.

Because both fires broke out at similar times one week apart at the same address, Tampa Fire Captain Jace Kohan said there is a strong possibility the blazes could be started by an arsonist.

"The investigators will talk to all the neighbors and check to see if they saw anything," Kohan said. "Sometimes someone sees something, whether it is kids running around or whatever. So, they are talking to some of the people now and we'll come back in the daylight and continue to talk to them."

Investigators are working to determine if the people who lived in the apartment had any enemies. Richard Eppard and his daughter, Chrystal, were the people listed as living in the two apartments.

Investigators have not said whether either of them have provided information concerning a possible suspect in the case.

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