2 recent Milwaukee area fires investigated for possible connection
MILWAUKEE- TODAY'S TMJ4 reports that investigators are looking into whether the fires started near downtown Milwaukee and Oak Creek are related.
The two buildings owned by the Sarsour family went up in flames within hours of each other.
Salah Sarsour and his family talked with investigators Thursday at the scene where the 120-year-old building they owned went up in flames Wednesday.
"They're just trying to see if there was someone behind this," said Salah Sarsour to TODAY'S TMJ4
While fire officials look at what started this blaze, investigators also are looking at what sparked a fire at the same family's home in Oak Creek.
"Its just coincidence," said Salah Sarsour. "I mean, I believe this happened coincidentally."
He told TODAY'S TMJ4 as incredible as it sounds, he knows of no one who would do something like this on purpose. "We have no enemies, and things happened, things happened the same day."
Right now, investigators are not calling these fires suspicious, but Jamil Sarsour who owns the building has been under investigation before. The man was imprisoned in Israel years ago, accused of donating money to the Islamic militant group Hamas. His brother changed the subject when asked if there could be a connection.
"We are talking here about the fire and as you see we are working now hard with the city and the police department to clean this mess and that's what we are focusing on and hopefully everything will be fine," exclaimed Salah Sarsour.
Investigators are not revealing what information they have on either of these fires or if they could have been intentionally set.
Salah Sarsour issued a statement saying:
Our family is absolutely certain that the two fires in properties owned by my two brothers was absolutely coincidental. There is no reason for us to believe that the fires were anything other than accidental or electrical in origin. We do not suspect anyone of setting the fires or targeting our family.
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