State police fire marshals are investigating four fires that were set early Saturday morning to the east and south of Coatesville, Chester County.

The fires follow a string of 14 other unsolved arsons in Coatesville since Jan. 1, the  worst of which engulfed 15 row homes Jan. 24.

In Lancaster County, there have been at least a dozen arsons since November. The most recent caused $80,000 damage to a storage shed Thursday morning at Penn Fence, 52 Pitney Road, in East Lampeter Township.

Saturday morning, firefighters were called to two homes in the 200 block of Church Street, Valley Township, at around 12:30 a.m. Both fires were started in porch furniture, emergency dispatchers said.

A third fire was discovered around 3:30 a.m. in a trash can alongside a house in the first block of Smith Farm Road, Sadsbury Township, Chester County, dispatchers said. Residents were awakened by a "bang" outside and saw the fire, according to a television news report.

A fourth fire was started on a porch at a home in Modena.

The City of Coatesville will have 1,000 motion sensor lights available for purchase by residents at city hall on Monday. Officials hope installation of the lights will deter arsonists.

Pick up tomorrow's Sunday News for the full story, or check LancasterOnline.com after midnight.