5 Possible Arsons Under Investigation In Holiday

HOLIDAY, FL — As Pasco County Fire Rescue and sheriff’s deputies investigate a string of suspicious fires in the Holiday area, authorities are asking anyone with information about the spree to come forward.

According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, five fires have been set behind homes in Holiday over the past week. The first four fires were all found behind homes on Marissa Place. On Monday afternoon, April 10, officials were called out to the fifth blaze. That fire was reported around 1 p.m. at a home in the area of Strauber Memorial Highway and Mela Court.

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“Fire rescue personnel suspect the fires are being purposely set,” a Tuesday morning email from the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office said investigators are looking into a possible connection between the five fires due to their close proximity.

Anyone with information about the fires or the person or people who might be responsible is asked to contact the sheriff’s office tip line at 1-800-706-2488 or the Pasco County Fire Marshal's Office at 813-929-2737.

News of the possible arson fires comes as two wildfires continued to burn in Pasco County on Tuesday. One of the fires, dubbed the Campground fire, had grown to about 75 acres in size as of Tuesday morning and was considered 75 percent contained. The Silver Palm fire also continued to burn Tuesday, spanning about 25 acres. Both blazes broke out on Monday along the State Road 52 corridor.

With more than 100 active wildfires burning across Florida, Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday declared a state of emergency. Residents across the state are being urged to avoid outdoor burning and to take care with grills and other sources of flames.

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