A Denver man is rattled, and his neighbors are on high alert after home security video captured someone casually setting a shrub on fire outside his fence near West Ellsworth Avenue and North Bannock Street on Saturday. A quick-thinking driver and nearby residents jumped in with whatever they had on hand to knock the flames down before they could climb the wooden fence or reach the house.
What the Video Shows
The surveillance clip, recorded Saturday near West Ellsworth Avenue and North Bannock Street, shows a man walking up, crouching near the base of a plant, lighting something, then strolling away, according to the footage shared with local TV, as per Yahoo News. Moments later, a driver pulls over and tries to stomp or smother the growing flames as other passersby rush over to help, cutting off what could have turned into a much bigger blaze.
Damage and Resident Reaction
Homeowner Spencer Barrowes said he did not know anything was burning until a neighbor rang his doorbell. He sprinted for his garden hose and soaked the area, dousing the lingering hot cinders. "If that fence had caught fire, that would have probably been thousands of dollars of damage," he told reporters, according to NewsNation.
Second Suspicious Blaze
Barrowes says this is not the first time his landscaping has gone up in suspicious flames. His security camera allegedly recorded a similar incident in October along the same fence line, and he now plans to rip out the current shrubs and replace them with plants that are less likely to burn so easily, according to a similar incident caught on camera in October, as per Yahoo News. The latest fire melted part of an irrigation line and left a clear burn mark on the wooden fence.
Investigation Under Way
Denver police say officers responded to the scene and took a report. The Denver Fire Department's fire investigation unit is handling the case as a possible arson, NewsNation reports. No arrests or suspects have been announced as the investigation continues.
Barrowes says he is grateful his neighbors and the passing driver reacted so fast, but the back-to-back fires have left him uneasy. He is moving ahead with new, less flammable landscaping as a practical defense, while residents on the block keep a closer eye on their security cameras and the sidewalk out front.
