Serial arsonist at large in the city of Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno fire officials say a serial arsonist may be to blame for several fires set within the past month.

Before firefighters showed up to a home early Tuesday morning, neighbors were grabbing garden hoses to take down flames. Fire crews had just wrapped another fire down the street.

Deputy Fire Marshall Don MacAlpine said, "We've identified a significant number of fires within this area and I have all staff now looking at each and every one, to rule in or out as being part of a serial incident."

Fire investigators say since early May, at least one arsonist is keeping crews very busy. Even though several arson arrests have been made, it has not ended the string of suspicious fires.

MacAlpine said, "Apparently it's not been an arrest of an individual that's primarily responsible for a significant number of these."

Just before 5:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, firefighters were dispatched to Butler near Orange for a fire at a storage shed. The building was destroyed by flames in minutes. And another fire just blocks away torched the back of a vacant home.

Daniel Beck lives next door and says the house is a favorite for squatters in the neighborhood.

"They lit garbage cans on fire on the back side of the house numbers of times, numbers of times," said Beck. "That one was actually a bit more scarier, because it was close to the house."

The cause of this fire has been determined to be arson. But investigators say a lack of witnesses is making it hard to track down a suspect.