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More arsons, but this time in Edenton

Posted at 10:23 PM, Feb 08, 2013
and last updated 2013-02-10 10:41:28-05

Edenton, N.C. - A truck, a boat, and a school.

And what do they have in common? Each one was set on fire this week.

"It's definitely something we don't want here in our small community. It's a close-knit community with family, and friends, and neighbors. We don't want to see anything jeopardize our safety and well-being," said Kristy Lalonde, who lives in Edenton.

Edenton Police tell NewsChannel 3 the fires happened early this week, and they don't know who's setting them.

On Sunday night, a boat was set on fire.

The next night, an animal control truck and the old White Oak Elementary School.

45th arson reported on the Eastern Shore

For those who have family who went to school there, they say the hardest part about this is knowing that the memories they made inside are now all turned to black.

"My daughter went to school here, her father went to school here. It's been here for a long time. It's kind of a piece of the community. And now it's gone," Lalonde said.

As far as a connection to the Eastern Shore fires, police say they don't think there is one, but they don't want to even think about it getting to that level.

"We don't want it to get anywhere near that. We don't want anymore fires," said Edenton Police Chief Jay Fortenbery.

They say they have reason to believe that whoever is setting the fires may have burns on their face and arms.

And that's where they say the community comes in.

"Without the help of the public, these types of cases can be hard to solve. But we're hoping that someone knows this individual. We're hoping that someone can bring some information to us that will lead to this person," Chief Fortenbery said.

Police say these fires are the first arsons Edenton has seen in years.