Vacant houses all destroyed by fire has finally prompted the Selma City Council and the Selma Police Department to take action.

According to Selma Police Chief Robert Green, seven vacant houses have been destroyed by fire within the past three months. Both fire and police officials have attributed the cause of the fires to arson.

The last two fires, which occurred at two different vacant houses, both occurred on L. L. Anderson Avenue on May 18 and May 20, respectively, according to Selma Fire Department records. Before that, fire department records show that two fires also occurred at two different vacated houses on May 16 on Minter Avenue.

Green said the cause of the fires could be due in large part to illegal activity that is occurring in the vacant houses on a regular basis.

“A lot of drug activity goes on in these places all the time,” Green said. “It’s possible that somebody may be lighting something and failing to put it out, which might be what is causing these fires.”

To combat the problem, Green said the police department has launched Operation Drug Haven, an operation, he says, that is used to “combat the reoccurring problems with the vacant, dilapidated and abandoned houses that are destroyed by fire.”

He added that during the operation, police, after receiving the owners permission, raid houses where suspected illegal activity may be occurring.

So far, said Green, the operation has been successful.

“We have caught several suspects, who we believe were involved in some type of illegal activity,” Green said.

The Selma City Council has also decided to join the department in combating the problem–at least monetarily.

According to a press release issued by the Selma Police Department, the Selma City Council recently approved a $5000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of “any person or persons” who willfully cause “the destruction of property by an act of arson.”

Henry Hicks, the code enforcement officer for the city of Selma, said the reward was definitely needed, and would be something that would greatly help the owners of the houses.

“I think if you owned a house, and there were people around who could burn it down, I think you would definitely want somebody here who could help you to do something about it,” he said. “I definitely think it [the reward] is a good idea.”