BLADENSBURG, Md. - Arson investigators are looking into another suspicious fire in an abandoned home in Prince George's County.

Firefighters were called to the 5900 block of Jefferson Street in Bladensburg just before noon. It took firefighters only a few minutes and one hose line to extinguish the several small fires they found in the vacant home Wednesday. But that was clearly not the arsonist's intent, according to sources. There were visible holes cut into the walls and floors of the small home before the fire was set, apparently in an effort to help the blaze spread faster.

"It's a little freaky to me, you know," said Juanita Johnson, who lives two doors down from the burned home. "I mean, somebody's walking around setting fires."

Another neighbor, Liz Mendez, was the first to spot the smoke.

"That's scary," she said. "It's kind of terrifying because we have kids running around. There's a school right behind the house."

Fire investigators are just as concerned. For several months now they've been probing a series of fires set in vacant homes, primarily in the Bladensburg-Riverdale area.

One focus of the investigation has been the Riverdale Volunteer Fire Department, where several firefighters have been suspended from duty pending the outcome of the investigation. The actual fire house has also been searched under a still-sealed warrant.

Investigators have not said whether Wednesday's fire is linked or not. The neighbors say they hope it isn't.

"It's even more scary, you know, um, those are the people that are supposed to protect us," said Johnson.

Nobody has been arrested or charged in connection with the fires. Fire investigators have presented evidence to the state's attorney's office. It's likely the case will be presented to a grand jury, which could return an indictment.

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