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String of arson-related fires leave Back Bay neighbors anxious

BOSTON — Neighbors in the Back Bay are feeling uneasy after a string of fires that all appear to have been intentionally set. One of those fires, involving a discarded Christmas tree in a back alley, spread inside a building at 295-297 Beacon St.

The flames spread from the ground level to the third floor just after 10 p.m. on Sunday night. Fire officials said nine people were displaced by the two-alarm fire that caused an estimated $150,000 in damage.

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“It’s pretty sad to walk into my apartment and see the windows boarded up,” said displaced resident Fleming Peck. “It’s a horrible thing that they risked lives and property and wasted so much money just to do something so frivolous.”

At least four other fires were also reported in Back Bay alleys around the same time on Sunday night. Fire investigators are still trying to determine if those fires reported at 11 Exeter St., Public Alley 420, 520 Beacon St. and 10 Charlesgate East are definitively connected.

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“It’s definitely concerning if someone is going around setting fires,” said Brian Cunningham, who saw the Christmas tree on fire from his window. “We watched a fire in the alley by a Christmas tree turn into three floors of destruction.”

Authorities have not said if they’ve recovered any surveillance video or other clues in connection with the search for answers. Investigators have not released any suspect description(s).

For some Back Bay residents, the investigation brings back memories of a string of arsons in their community last spring. A suspect in last year’s case, identified as 44-year-old William Elliott, was eventually arrested and charged with setting 10 fires across the Back Bay.