Fire investigators are looking into a series of suspicious fires at a Collier County golf community, after 6 fires were reported within a period of 96 hours beginning Friday evening. A golf course shelter at the Cypress Woods Golf and Country Club received the most damage, while several pool restrooms and dumpster fires were also reported.
"It's insane that somebody would do this," said Dan Snow, a resident at Cypress Woods. "If that (fire at the golf shelter) had spread even a little bit, it could have been a major disaster."
"Six of them in one street...that's not normal," said Andy Marfongella, a fire investigator with North Collier Fire-Rescue. He said the fires are being called "suspicious" for now.
"We can't call them arson yet because we're still waiting on lab results," Marfongella said.
He said his department responded to the golf shelter and dumpster fires, but that the pool restroom fires weren't discovered until they had already burned themselves out, leaving charred walls and smoke damage.
With the recent dry weather in Southwest Florida, Snow said it's fortunate that none of the fires spread to the nearby woods or condo buildings.
"People could have gotten hurt, because they're obviously starting fires right next to community residences," he said.
Marfongella with North Collier Fire-Rescue asks that anyone with information about the fires call him at 239-877-4786.
