Sen. Casey visits Coatesville

Stories of devastation and displacement melded with tales of heroism and tenacity yesterday as residents of arson-ravaged Coatesville poured out their anguish to U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.

The Democratic lawmaker had a private meeting with about 20 arson victims.

"The depth of the emotion in that room was phenomenal," said Peggy Gusz, head of the Crime Victims Center of Chester County, who attended. "You begin to realize the extent of the tragic impact on these people."

Brandy Hickman, burned out of her house on Fleetwood Street last month, said she found Casey's visit comforting.

She said it was also reassuring to see some of her neighbors for the first time since the Jan. 25 fire.

"It was like a family reunion," she said. "We all cried, but it did make me feel a lot better."

Casey said he went to Coatesville "to listen and to learn."

"The most important thing the federal government has to do is to stay engaged," he said.

Casey's 2 1/2-hour visit began with a briefing from investigators, who are working "round the clock" to solve a "heinous" string of arsons, said Mark W. Potter, who heads the Philadelphia division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Eighteen set fires have terrorized Coatesville, a struggling former steel town of 11,600 people, since Jan. 1. Five similar arsons have occurred in neighboring municipalities.

Last year, the city recorded 15 arsons, one of which killed an 83-year-old survivor of a World War II German work camp. Three people were arrested in December and remain in custody, but the arsons did not end, shattering residents' sense of security.

"We've got to do everything we can to lift that fear and give some hope," Casey said. "This community has pulled together in a way that's extraordinary."

Casey commended Gov. Rendell for pledging $500,000 in financial aid and implementing the Coatesville Arson Task Force, made up of federal, state, county and local law enforcement officials.

For Karen Engle, the help may be too late. After enduring gang graffiti on her porch during the summer, gunshots through a window in September, and arson on Nov. 12, she is committed to relocating.

"I just can't stay here anymore," the 28-year Coatesville resident said before the arson victims' meeting with Casey.

Engle, who lost a cat and all of her possessions in the fire, said she was fortunate not to be home babysitting her infant granddaughter when the arsonist struck, as she was the night before.

Casey saw the kind of destruction Engle described when he inspected the rubble in the 300 block of Fleetwood Street.

"I had no sense of the lineup," Casey said somberly as he surveyed the 15 rowhouses gutted in a blaze on Jan. 25.

He listened as Capt. John Abel, a Coatesville firefighter, talked about being beaten back by the flames, and he shook his head as he picked up the charred remnants of a chair.

"It looked like a war zone," said City Council President Martin L. Eggleston, adding that Coatesville has the best firefighters "on the planet."

Casey chatted briefly with Steve Flinn, whose garage across the street went up in flames on Nov. 21, 2007. The blaze is "still under investigation," Flinn said.

"It's real hard," he said. "I'm waiting for the insurance and trying to keep working."

City Councilwoman Patsy Ray, who found housing for many of the arson victims, said she hopes Casey can rectify a wealth of insurance woes. Since the arson spree began, she said, insurance rates in Coatesville have skyrocketed.

"The people who need the insurance the most can't afford it," she said.

City officials said they were having difficulty with soaring costs and appreciate whatever assistance is available. City Manager Harry G. Walker said overtime for police and fire personnel is costing $100,000 a month.

After his meeting with the arson victims, Casey, who asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for more assistance, said he was committed to finding long-term solutions for Coatesville.

Laura E. Sweeney, a spokeswoman for the Department of Justice, said the department "is committed to continuing to work with local law enforcement to catch the perpetrators of these serious crimes."

A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the conviction of whoever is responsible for the Coatesville arsons. The phone number, staffed 24 hours a day, is 484-356-6109.

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