Detroit Firefighters Extinguish 15 'Suspicious' Fires On Hot Summer Night

DETROIT (WWJ) - Firefighters in Detroit had their hands full overnight, dealing with at least 15 fires that are being investigated as suspicious.

The fires started popping up late Monday, the same night as the annual fireworks display, and continued burning through Tuesday morning in an east side neighborhood near Van Dyke and Harper avenues.

All of the fires were set in vacant homes, according to authorities, and all are being investigated as possible arson.

Officials say they're suspicious of a group, Motor City Fire Photography, which was trailing firefighters from house to house capturing all the action on camera. But photographer Jonathon Bolton said the group is doing nothing illegal.

"They do suspect us of being arsonists, however at every fire scene we can be accounted for," Bolton told WWJ's Charlie Langton.

Bolton said they usually follow the sirens, but not last night.

"We've been able to look up in the sky and actually see black smoke and flames," he said. "And so we don't even have locations of where they're going to or cross streets, we just look up at the sky and drive all the way to it."

An investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to contact investigators at 313-596-2940.

• Detroit