TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A string of dumpster fires targets downtown Terre Haute.
“I came in to work last week or two on Wednesday and noticed our nice, new dumpster was all crispy looking and paint melted off of it,” said Andrew Rossington, General Manager of Corey’s Fine Footwear in downtown Terre Haute. “We just thought it was some random act but come to find out a couple days later I come to work and see Wise Pies dumpster down the alley melted to the ground. So, somethings going on,” he added.
Tabatha Jackson, a bartender at the Eagles Lodge spoke about the burning of their dumpster.
“We didn’t really find anything until the next morning. We looked at the cameras, it happened between 2:00 and 3:00 in the morning. The fire department came,” she said.
Terre Haute Police Department Detective, Josh Loudermilk, said over the course of the last week and a half to two weeks, Terre Haute Police and Fire have responded to approximately six dumpster fires.
“Someone may look at it and think, hey, it’s just a dumpster. You know, it’s just trash or refuse in there,” Loudermilk said. “The big issue is this, the placement of where these dumpsters are up against buildings, everyone knows that lives in Terre Haute, that our downtown is chained together, and these businesses are all together. What a lot of people may not know is that there are apartments above a lot of these businesses that people live in,” he added.
Businesses and residents in the area say they are keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.
“Just being vigilant, extra watch out, see if we can find out anything,” Rossington said.
“You know, one dumpster fire I can say maybe someone threw a cigarette in there and wasn’t doing what they’re supposed to do, and it burned. When you get six (dumpster fires) over two weeks, that kind of changes the way you have to look at it,” Loudermilk said. “And now, it starts to become, hey, someone is doing this. And that’s the way we’re looking into it right now,” he added.
THPD asks business owners and residents to report any suspicious activity by calling the non-emergency number at 812-238-1661 or calling Crime Stoppers.
