Emergency crews responded to a fire call early Friday morning in a south central Lawrence that has been the site of a string of suspected arsons dating back to October.

Crews responded at about 2:30 a.m. to a fire in the 1800 block of W. 25th Street, according to Lawrence Police Department records.

Mike Frizzell of Operation 100 News, the Journal-World’s news partner, said emergency dispatch scanner traffic indicted that crews quickly extinguished a small fire in a stairwell at an apartment complex at 1809 W. 25th Street.

No injuries were reported.

Following the fire, police and fire crews set up a perimeter in the area, searching for a potential suspect. The Douglas County Jail booking log does not show any arson-related arrests from that time.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Chief Mark Bradford confirmed the details about the fire, and added later in a press release that the fire was being investigated in connection with the recent arsons.

Since Oct. 19, more than a dozen small fires have been set in and around apartment buildings in an area near 23rd Street south to 25th Street and from Iowa east to Naismith Drive.

Many of those fires have occurred in laundry rooms or hallways of apartment complexes. The fires have also been set inside of apartment complexes where exterior doors to the buildings are not locked. Fire officials suspect the fires have been intentionally set, but have not released any more information.

The two most recent fires in the area have fit the general pattern of the recent suspected arsons occurred Nov. 22 and Nov. 25.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is now offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who has information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for a series of suspected arsons in south central Lawrence.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical at 785-830-7065, the Lawrence Police Department at 785-830-7430 or the TIPS Hotline at 785-843-TIPS (8477).