17 fires intentionally set overnight in Minneapolis

Minneapolis police say someone set 17 fires Friday night in south Minneapolis.

The fires were set between 8:30 pm and 12:30 in an area between West River Parkway on the east and Snelling Avenue on the west.

Police spokesman Sgt. Bill Palmer said 10 fires were set to piles or bags of leaves. Other fires burned two garages, three vehicles, an industrial trash container and retaining wall.

Palmer said evidence shows each fire was intentionally set, but as yet it's unclear whether an accelerant was used. At one point about 20 police squad cars and the Special Operations Division were part of the search for suspects.

No one was arrested, but Palmer said many people in the area were stopped and questioned. One man was booked on an unrelated misdemeanor.

"This is probably going to be solved by the public coming forward with some information for us," Palmer said. "Someone who knows somebody who came home smelling like gasoline or some other accelerant -- I'm not sure an accelerant was used, but I'm guessing it's going to be likely, someone who was bragging about it, or someone who saw something and didn't choose to call us."

The Minneapolis arson squad is investigating the fires, he said.

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