The state fire marshal's office and Harford County law enforcement agencies are seeking whoever threw bottles containing a combustible substance onto two roadways, tossed a Molotov cocktail onto another road, set a mailbox on fire and tossed a mailbox onto the porch of a house and set it ablaze, all over the weekend.
No injuries or serious damage to dwellings were reported during the incidents that began Friday night, said Joseph Zurolo, a spokesman for the fire marshal's office.
About 10 p.m. Friday, a bottle containing a caustic liquid exploded on Bennett Place in Bel Air, Zurolo said.
Less than an hour later, a flammable liquid was poured onto the porch of a house in the 1800 block of Trudeau Drive in Forest Hill, causing minor damage. Shortly after 11:15 p.m. Friday, another bottle containing a caustic substance exploded in the 3900 block of Street Road in Highlands, Zurolo said.
The fourth incident was reported at 1:16 a.m. Saturday when a Molotov cocktail exploded harmlessly on Route 24 near Ring Factory Road in Bel Air.
About 10:30 p.m. Saturday, someone placed a plastic mailbox filled with newspapers onto the front porch of a house in the 700 block of Paige Circle in Bel Air and set it on fire. The occupant put out the fire, Zurolo said. About 15 minutes later, a mailbox on Dixie Road in Bel Air was set on fire. Authorities were unsure whether the incidents were related. There was no evidence that anyone in particular was targeted. But Zurolo said he feared the incidents were escalating in seriousness.
"We need the public's help in capturing whoever is responsible," he said. Anyone with information is urged to call the state fire marshal's tip line at 800-492-7529; a reward was being offered.