BY TOM O'NEILL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
![[Fire]](/editions/1998/08/31/fire_180x131.jpg)
The scene of the second of two fire in two days attributed to suspicious circumstances.
(Ryan Miller photo)
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Amid charred furniture, broken glass and uncertainty, residents of an apartment complex in Price Hill that was burned twice over the weekend by suspected arson fires searched Sunday for answers. Can we financially afford to leave?
Can we emotionally afford to stay?
How could someone do this?
At 1:10 a.m. Sunday, residents for the second straight night were awakened by a blaze that fire officials consider "suspicious." No one was injured in the fire at 1144 Considine Considine Ave. Cincinnati police said they have two suspects but did not release their identities. No arrests have been made.
Damage in the first fire was estimated at $50,000. No estimate on the second was available.
"Not again!"
"I saw it this morning and thought, "not again!' " said resident Denise Goerler, 24, who was relocated to a local Holiday Inn following the first fire.
Some in this low-income, 24-unit complex near Glenway Avenue say they won't risk living in an arsonist's target. Prior to this weekend, there were four vacant apartments. Now, eight others are uninhabitable, and according to Red Leaf Properties building manager Rob Eckel, some residents -- including those whose homes were not damaged -- have asked to move.
"We're leaving," said Deatra George, 35, who said concern for her daughter, Jasmine, 2, focused her decision. "I just thank the Lord nobody got hurt. Personal possessions can be replaced, not life."
Mr. Eckel said the Green Township-based firm owns about 300 units throughout the city and, despite few vacancies, will try to assist those residents in finding places.
Most of the 40 or so displaced residents are staying with family or at a local hotel arranged by the Red Cross.
Others are determined to stay, including Ms. Goerler, the mother of three children ages 7, 4 and 2. Her fiance, residential manager Darrell Trivette, said Sunday, "I ain't gonna let anybody run me out."
Dispute cited
Some residents think the fires are linked to a resident's dispute with management, and possibly other residents.
They say the fires were particularly frustrating because, since Red Leaf took over about a month ago, the complex has improved greatly. The agency repainted several units, installed new hallway carpeting, cleaned up the yard and, said Mr. Eckel, began the process of removing several residents whom others had complained of.
Red Leaf did one more thing: It installed working smoke detectors. Previously, there were none.
![[Fire]](/editions/1998/08/31/fire_550x401.jpg)