Investigators confirmed Friday that a fire Monday night that killed two people and injured more than two dozen was an act of arson.
No suspects have yet been named. The investigation into the blaze at the Fitz Apartments at 1747 Peoria St., has been turned over to the Aurora Police Department Major Crime Unit.
Sgt. Cassidee Carlson, a spokeswoman for the Aurora Police Department, said in an e-mail to reporters Friday night that a person has been interviewed, but there was not enough information to make an arrest.
“Early in this investigation, detectives were made aware of a person that raised concern amongst neighbors, and some believed he may have some involvement with the fire,” she stated.
“Detectives have interviewed this person. However, not enough probable cause exists to make an arrest. As a result of this interview, his mental health was a concern, and he was referred to professionals for further evaluation.”
Police said earlier this week they were investigating residents’ reports that a man was seen with a can of gasoline, spreading it as an accelerant down the hallway of the apartment building near the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Soon after the fire started just after 11 p.m. Monday, scanner traffic described a as a white male in his 20s with a shaved head and a black-and-white checkered shirt, captured on video camera from a nearby 7-Eleven
On Tuesday, Steve Southard, the maintenance manager at Fitz Apartments, told The Denver Post that investigators had talked with a man Tuesday morning who makes the rounds in the neighborhood carrying a red coffee can, which he uses to pick up discarded cigarette butts.
Aurora police are asking anyone with information to call 303-739-6118 or Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
The fire killed , 59. Both died in their fourth-floor apartment
Fifteen people were hospitalized and 27 were injured.
