College Park Fire Rescue asks residents for help after string of home fires in Ward 1 community

The College Park Fire Rescue Department is investigating a series of fires that have damaged homes in the city's Ward 1 community.

The Fire Marshal's Office is asking residents for help after seven structural fires were reported near John Calvin Avenue and Victoria Street.

Officials say the fires began in December 2025 and appear to have started in crawl spaces beneath the affected homes.

"We understand this news is concerning. Please be assured that we are taking this trend very seriously," the College Park Fire Rescue Department said in a community notice shared on social media. "We need our community's eyes and ears. Minor details that might seem insignificant to you could be the exact piece of information our investigators need."

Investigators are asking residents to check doorbell cameras and home surveillance footage from Dec. 31, Feb. 3, March 1, April 24, June 12 and July 6 for any suspicious activity.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the College Park Fire Marshal's Office or the College Park Police Department.

Officials are also warning homeowners with open crawl spaces or lattice skirting to make sure those areas are secured and well-lit, if possible.

CBS Atlanta spoke to a resident who lives near the homes that officials said have been set on fire.

She did not want to be identified, but CBS Atlanta was able to verify she does live near the homes involved in the investigation.

"You know it's July, it's time to head to the beach, but I'm afraid to do that because I don't know whether or not while I'm gone, if my house is next," the resident said.

According to College Park Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Randall Slaughter, a mother and son were inside the home that caught fire on Monday, but they were not injured.

The resident recalled another of the fires, which she said happened in April.

"I saw great, amazing, heroic efforts by the fire department that morning, but it leaves a scar on you," the resident said.

College Park Fire Rescue shared a post on Facebook earlier this week about the fires and asked for the public's help.

However, the resident feels there has not been enough communication from College Park Fire Rescue about the fires.

"It's not like I'm always on their page, but I do follow them so that if there are important notifications that we need to receive as residents, I will see it," the resident said. "But I haven't until this week."

Slaughter said this is not the first time they have asked for information regarding the fires.

"I'm asking the community to refrain from the social media either implying what the calls may be or who may be responsible because you don't know if you may compromise our investigation," Slaughter said. "So I'm really asking the community to work with us, but this is not the first time we've asked the community maybe for tips or leads, just maybe not in this format."

Slaughter said they are not calling the fires arson at this time because he cannot determine intent. However, he said nothing is off the table for this investigation.

"They are definitely intentionally set fires, and I have been fighting fires for over 3 decades, 36 years to be exact, and so this is well beyond coincidence," Slaughter said.

While Slaughter said he couldn't talk about specifics, he did mention some similarities between the fires.

"I will say just for the safety of the public and this neighborhood, that the fires are occurring between the 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. hour and they're particularly starting in the crawl spaces," Slaughter said.

Slaughter said they have increased patrols in the area and College Park Police have also installed a security camera nearby.

College Park Fire Rescue is encouraging neighbors to check their security cameras, secure their properties, and report any suspicious activity to College Park Fire Rescue or the College Park Police Department.

The Georgia Arson Council is also offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.