6 Suspicious Fires Under Investigation in Salem, New Jersey

SALEM, N.J. (WPVI) -- Jerusha Smith-Jackson fears her and her daughter's lives are at risk.

It's all because of a rash of fires happening in their hometown of Salem, New Jersey.

Smith-Jackson, who has a 6-year-old daughter, said, "She's becoming traumatized about it. Every time we come out it smells like smoke."

This past Saturday morning the green home she used to live in on Sinnickson Street was destroyed when the vacant home next door went up in flames.

Smith-Jackson says both she and her daughter could have been killed if they were still living there.

It's the second property to recently burn on Sinnickson Street.

In fact, City of Salem fire officials say six out of their last eight fires happened at vacant homes and are considered suspicious.

The first suspicious fire was a vacant home on Walnut Street on New Year's Eve.

Next, a vacant home on Thompson Street went up in flames on January 13.

Then, in late January, the first property on Sinnickson Street, along with a home on Union Street, both caught fire hours part.

On the evening of March 10, a home on Elm Street was burned.

This past Saturday, a second home on Sinnickson caught fire.

The fire department says the local police and county prosecutors are trying figure out who's doing this but they need help.

Chief Fred Ayers said, "We need to tie this up, get all the loose ends brought together and bring this to a conclusion. We can't do that if the citizens aren't coming forward with information if they have any."