County Offers Reward in Accokeek Arson Inquiry

In the world of arson victims, Jim Underwood comes across as one of the least aggrieved.

"I was mad in a way, but I was going, 'Man, too bad it didn't burn all the way to the ground,' you know. And they left the barn. They did forgot to light the barn up," he said. "It saved me money. Really, I mean, you know it was all going to get tore down eventually anyway."

Understand, Underwood was planning to get a permit to allow the fire department to burn the vacant house he owned along rural Livingston Road in southern Prince George's County, to clear the way for a nine-house subdivision.

But the flames leaping from the house Saturday still dismayed him and other property owners in Accokeek, primarily because the fire was the latest in a string of unsolved arsons in the neighborhood.

Prince George's fire officials announced a $15,000 reward yesterday for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. They also launched an investigative team to focus on the cases, in partnership with the Maryland state fire marshal and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Between March 2004 and the burning of Underwood's house Saturday, there have been 12 arsons in the neighborhood, including nine along Livingston Road, fire officials said. There have been seven this year. Investigators have linked the arsons because they are in the same small area and involved unoccupied structures with some connection to construction.

The targets were all "either new homes under construction, houses that are scheduled for demolition to make way for new construction or construction equipment to be used to build . . . new structures," said Scott K. Hoglander, Prince George's fire investigations battalion chief.

Although the fires have not injured anyone, they have caused a "couple million" dollars in property damage, Prince George's Fire Chief Lawrence H. Sedgwick Jr. said at a news conference. The case is baffling investigators.

"We're at a point where we need some help," said Hoglander, as he and other fire officials asked the public to watch for suspicious behavior and call or e-mail authorities with any tips.

Investigators did not go into detail about how the Accokeek fires were ignited, but Hoglander said that aside from locations and links to construction, there are "not many similarities between the various incidents."

The Accokeek cases have led investigators to review the files of the 2004 mass arson in the Charles County subdivision of Hunters Brooke, which is within 10 miles of Accokeek. In those fires, which destroyed or damaged 27 new, unoccupied houses, five white men were convicted and prosecutors alleged that some of the men were angry because many of Hunters Brooke's new homeowners were black.

Sedgwick said yesterday that no motive had been identified in Accokeek.

Maryland Fire Marshal William E. Barnard said that his office has reviewed the Charles fires within the past year to see whether there might be a connection with Accokeek.

"We can find no connection at this point. That's not saying that the next incident that occurs may not be connected," Barnard said.

In Accokeek yesterday, Nazim Khan, 42, stood with Underwood, 45, and other friends around a pickup truck recounting their arson stories. They were at the site where Khan's new auto-body shop is being built. He said he planned to use surveillance cameras and watchdogs to guard the place.

"Me and him," Khan said, motioning at Underwood, "we got houses we're building around here, and I'm running scared every day."

Firefighters ask anyone with information about the Accokeek arsons to call 301-77-ARSON or e-mail77arson@co.pg.md.us.