Arson Fires Deemed Worst In Maryland History (LOTS of pictures)

The Denver Channel ^ | December 7, 2004

[Stoat]

Arson Fires Deemed Worst In Maryland History

Investigators Comb Burned Homes For Evidence

 

POSTED: 6:45 am EST December 7, 2004

UPDATED: 1:56 pm EST December 7, 2004

 

INDIAN HEAD, Md. -- Fire investigators are searching for evidence in the rubble of dozens of torched houses in what's being called the worst arson fire in Maryland State history.

According to Faron Taylor, a deputy state fire marshal, more than 20 federal, local and state investigators searched for forensic evidence. Some $10 million in damage was done at 41 homes at the Hunters Brooke subdivision, near Indian Head in Charles County. And, Taylor said, 12 homes were destroyed.

The fires were reported before 5 a.m. Monday, drawing firefighters from Charles and three other counties to the 319-unit subdivision about 25 miles south of Washington, Charles County spokeswoman Nina Voehl said. The homes, in a development next to an environmental preserve, were priced between $400,000 and $500,000.

The pricey new subdivision has been the subject of a lawsuit between environmentalists and the Army Corps of Engineers. FBI spokesman Barry Maddox said FBI agents examined the scene, and ecoterrorism was one of the motives that would be investigated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Roses0508]

You and me both. I grow roses. Trees are bad, very, very bad if you grow roses. Roses are sun and manure kind of plants. And the acorn thing. 10,000 baby trees come up in your flowerbeds and you have to weed the lot of them out over and over again.

Then the storms come and blow the tree over on the house and you have to get the house repaired, fight with the insurance company, etc.

[mindspy]

So move. If you so despise the woods why did you buy a home next to them? You live on a postage stamp lot in an environment that you cannot stand. You should have bought a condo in the city.

[Rebelbase]

Thanks, I will. Damn these trees. Clear cut here I come!

[mindspy]

All I am trying to say is that builders are building and people are buying big houses on very tiny lots in rural areas. It doesn't make sense. Why would one spend all that money to live in box with no yard? If one wants to live rurally they could buy a smaller house with more land. People are paying thousands of dollars for miniscul square footage. It is foolishness. The price of property is based on the value of the land. Building costs of a house range from $45 on upward per square foot. I know people living in big boxes on tiny lots and they paid from $600,000 to $800,000 for it. When they could have purchased a home almost as big on an acre for less. It just seems all a$$backwards to me.

[valkyrieanne]

It's not backwards at all. Whenever you don't understand something about real estate, follow the schools, because to a large degree real estate is all about public schools - who's fleeing what districts into what new districts.

These families don't want to live in "rural areas" for the sake of the Green Acres lifestyle. (Even if they *wanted* a farm, they probably couldn't afford one, because available farms are too often turned into subdivisions.)

They want to live in an area that they perceive to have low crime, good neighbors, and *good school systems.* Houses in good school districts fetch premium prices.

[steve-b]

You say they want to live in spacious surroundings, then why do they purchase homes built so close together

The demand is for spacious interiors. As for the exterior lot -- if I could, I'd replace the grass with Astroturf and put an end to the maintenance nuisance.

[AmericanFlyer1776]

Just to update the early reaction to this being eco-terrorists.

Turns out it was in part due to racism. Lots of black families moving into a very white part of Maryland.

That and the fact that one of the suspects had an ax to grind with the developer -- his former employer.

The guys were drag racers -- not environmentalists in the least.