Man Arrested in Series of Dumpster Fires - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

UPDATED: (10/01 6:05 p.m.)

An accused arsonist is behind bars after being tied to several recent Moorhead dumpster fires.

A late Sunday night stake out led to the arrest of Steven Chenoweth of Moorhead in the Romkey Park neighborhood.

He is facing 13 counts of 3rd Degree Arson.

Lt. Tory Jacobson of the Moorhead Police Department says, "We continued to have regular fires, and we were very concerned that somebody's a pyromaniac or that has their own personal motivations for this."

The dumpster fires started at the end of June, and the number continued to grow in the Romkey Park neighborhood over the months.

It was a surveillance effort that finally led to Chenoweth's arrest. A Moorhead detective staked the 1000 block of 18th Street South out late Sunday night, knowing there was a common trend in time and location of these fires.

Using roman candles and sparklers, police say Chenoweth started at least 13 of the 17 dumpster fires.

Jacobson says, "He is saying himself that he enjoys the excitement behind the response. That's concerning to us."

Even with Chenoweth off the streets, police still caution those living near dumpsters. "We do not want people to have the sense that the person who does all these is in custody," says Jacobson.

They say Chenoweth's arrest is an example the public's role in solving crimes, stressing that calls to police when there is suspicious activity will help catch other firebugs.

Chenoweth faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

After his arrest, another dumpster fire was started in North Moorhead.

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A Moorhead man has been arrested for a series of dumpster fires in the area. Police say as of October 30, the Romkey Park neighborhood in south Moorhead had a total of 17 suspicious dumpster fires since late June. Many of the fires were just a few feet from buildings were people were living. 

Surveillance was set up and a Moorhead Police Detective spotted a fire being set just before midnight on Sunday in the 1000 block of 18th Street South.  The detective arrested Steven Edward Chenoweth without incident.  The 38-year-old is being held at the Clay County Jail on 13 counts of 3rd Degree Arson.

Police can't tell yet if another incident after Chenoweth's arrest is related to the string of dumpster fires.

A north Moorhead man came home from work around 2:00 Monday morning and spotted something smoldering in a dumpster between two garage units near an apartment building. Firefighters got it out before it caused much damage.