Police investigate reoccuring trash fires

Intentional trash toter fires are an ongoing problem for those living in houses on the southeastern edge of campus, as three more trash totes were extinguished over the weekend, firefighters said.

Robert Mead, Muncie Fire Department chief fire investigator, said there were no witnesses or suspects for the fires that have been set to green plastic trash totes and furniture left outside residences on Beechwood and Ashland avenues.

“There’s never any witnesses, and it is typically in the alleys,” Mead said. “It also usually involves types of furniture, like mattresses and couches that college kids leave out.”

The fires have occurred every weekend since students returned to Ball State for the Fall Semester, Mead said.

Gene Burton, University Police Department chief of police, said UPD is investigating that matter, although there are no leads and little to no evidence at the crime scenes. UPD has heightened patrols in the area.

Burton said students should be mindful of suspicious activity, although he is not surprised that such acts of vandalism happen near Ball State.

“I don’t want to discount it,” he said. “But vandalism is just something that we periodically have to fight in one form or another.

He said acts of criminal mischief, which is what these fires are considered, have happened on or near campus.

Mead also has contacted the Muncie Sanitary District to ask them to more efficiently collect garbage and get trash out of alleyways as soon as possible.

His advice for students is to be careful what they leave outside.

“Don’t set furniture out,” Mead said. “As simple as that may sound, it seems whoever is [lighting the fires] has an affinity for lighting furniture.”

The fires in total have damaged two detached garages and caused heat damage to one vehicle. However, Mead said none of the damage has been major.

Mead asks anyone who knows about the fires near campus or that spots any suspicious activity to contact MFD at 765-747-4807.