Firefighters battle string of east-side fires

Indianapolis firefighters fought multiple suspicious fires overnight on the near-east side. The first broke out in a vacant residence about 11:40 p.m. Sunday in the 300 block of North Rural Street and caused an estimated $1,500 in damage. The next occurred in a vacant house at 2:20 a.m. Monday in the 800 block of North Rural Street, causing about $75,000 in damage. Another blaze was called in about 2:30 a.m. in an occupied home in the 900 block of Eastern Avenue. A family of five escaped uninjured, but the fire caused $50,000 in damage. Firefighters were later called to trash fires in the 700 block of North Oxford Street and the 600 block of North Rural. Officials are investigating to see if the fires are related.