Fire that damaged East Lawrence garage was set on purpose, investigators say

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Investigators have reportedly determined that the cause of an overnight fire early last week in East Lawrence was incendiary, meaning it was set on purpose.

The fire, which occurred in the early morning hours of Monday, June 7 at a detached garage at 1301 New York St., caused about $20,000 in property loss, Tom Fagan, division chief of administration for Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, said via email Thursday.

No one was injured as a result of that fire. Fagan said no further information would be released at this time.

Also Thursday, Fagan said that a June 4 fire on Pleasant Street in North Lawrence caused an estimated $134,000 in property loss, but the cause was still under investigation.

An adult and two children were displaced but not injured in that fire; however, the family dog did not survive. One firefighter was taken to the hospital for minor injuries but was released shortly thereafter.

A GoFundMe set up for the family had raised $7,735 as of Thursday evening.

Related coverage:

• June 7, 2021: Overnight fire damages garage, car at an East Lawrence home; no injuries

• June 4, 2021: Family dog dies in early morning fire in North Lawrence; 1 adult and 2 kids displaced

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