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Police Searching For Suspects Involved In Wissinoming Arson

By Dan Wing

Philadelphia (CBS) – Both the fire marshal and Philadelphia police are investigating several arson fires involving parked cars in the Wissinoming area of the city early Sunday that forced residents from an apartment building.

The fires started around 4 a.m. at two different locations about a block and a half apart. Fire crews were first called to the intersection of Harbison and Cheltenham Avenues where one vehicle was found engulfed in flames.

A short time later another report of a vehicle fire was received, this time from the Cottage Garden Apartments, where police say two cars were ablaze in the parking lot and another parked in the street. In all, police say five cars were set on fire.

One young resident of the apartments was an eyewitness as a minivan went up in flames.

"They weren't high, they were coming from underneath. I saw the firefighters trying to fight it off, but they had to get underneath the car and spray up in the car."

The apartment building itself also took damage from smoke, and several windows were shattered.

The fires remain under investigation.

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