The Cleveland Fire Department is taking steps to better protect your neighborhood while possibly saving you money, improving how it responds to suspicious fires.
"It's very unusual for somebody to have more than one fire in their life," said Chief Chris Posante, Cleveland Fire Investigation Unit.
However, in Cleveland, serial arsonists are keeping the city’s recently revamped investigation unit busy.
In 2019, the department investigated 349 fires.
"For the city of Cleveland, arson's a problem. Some of these people we've identified had four and five fires," Posante said.
One of the biggest factors fanning those flames is insurance fraud.
"It's an arson for profit scheme," Posante said.
In their ongoing effort to crack down on those criminals, the firefighters—turned police officers—are adding new equipment to better execute their investigations.