The state Office of Fire Prevention and Control is assisting the Olean Fire Department and the Cattaraugus County Fire Investigation Team in determining the cause of three suspicious fires that occurred across the city in less than 24 hours.

Fire Chief Robert Bell updated aldermen on fire-safety issues related to the incidents during a routine City Operations Committee meeting Tuesday night, assuring them that other vacant buildings that could be targeted by arsonists are being boarded up.

Buffalo News (New York)He said he is working on a plan for emergency demolition of the two-story house at 125 S. Second St., where a worker outside the nearby Stroehmann's Bakery noticed flames and called the Fire Department at 1:33 a.m. Sunday. The house was vacant and was destroyed before the fire was brought under control at 3:01 a.m.

A second fire in a vacant house across the street at 104 S. Second was then pointed out by an onlooker and was brought under control about 20 minutes later. In the meantime, firefighters received a report of a blaze in the middle of South Seventh Street, caused by an exploding two-liter plastic bottle of gasoline.

Another fire was called in at 1:25 a.m. Monday by Russell L. Hamed, owner of a store and apartments at 124 Whitney Ave. Two residents and a police officer were treated for minor injuries after the rescue of residents trapped briefly on the roof. Damage was estimated at $100,000.

Bell said the demolition of 125 S. Second could be costly because of the presence of asbestos, with preliminary estimates placed as high as $35,000.

"There are heavy decisions to be made," Bell told the aldermen, adding that he has contacted the City of Buffalo to determine how demolitions are handled there and to find out how the Buffalo was able to obtain state funding to take down a number of abandoned buildings.|

"We will also contact our local State Legislature representatives to seek assistance on the city demolition. We are hoping to tie in the demolition of other buildings, too. Three fires in 24 hours -- in my 231/2 years it's never happened. But we will find out what's going on, I guarantee you we will find out," Bell said.

After the meeting Bell confirmed that an accelerant-sniffing dog was brought to the scene of the fires, adding he is not ready to use the word "arson" until investigators analyze the evidence.

City Operations Committee Chairman Mike Kayes asked residents to remain vigilant. "There could have been some real tragedies with the two fires on South Second Street if one hadn't been noticed by the employee from Stroehmann's," he said. "We just all need to be aware of what's going on around us, and if something looks out of place, call the police and fire department."