Arson suspected in Thursday night Washington Park fire | Belleville News-Democrat

A fire at a vacant property Thursday night in Washington Park was most likely arson, the fire chief said.

But it’d be almost impossible to catch whoever did it, said Chief Charles Schrieber, with no witnesses and a string of vacant houses surrounding the property.

The fire occurred in the 5600 block of Hallows Avenue in Washington Park. As the house was vacant, there were no injuries.

“She was going pretty good (when they got there),” Schrieber said. “The whole roof was off.”

Neighbors said they could see the flames from the vacant property from multiple house down, as it rose above the trees.

Crews were able to put the blaze out within a half hour, and smoldering remains was all that was left.