Coatesville is getting $250,000 to buy and demolish the Fleetwood Street row homes destroyed by an arsonist's torch last February.

Coatesville City Manager Harry Walker said the county is providing the $250,000 grant. "The county is stepping up and will be working with the city for the renewal of fire damaged Fleetwood Street," said Walker, describing the 15 burnt out homes the "eye of the hurricane for arson fires."

Six individuals were arrested in connection to the fires. However, it wasn't until Robert Tracy, a former assistant fire chief with the West End Fire Co.,was arrested that the arsons stopped. Tracy is now out of prison after pleading guilty to setting two trash fires. He was arrested in March. Mark Gilliam, of West Bradford, admitted setting the Fleetwood Street and eight other fires. One person, a Polish woman who survived Hitler's forced labor camps, died in the fires.

"This grant will give a large boost to the reconstruction of that area and provide hope for a damaged citizenry," Walker said.

Gov. Ed Rendell previously authorized a one time $500,000 grant for police and fire overtime in connection with the 70 arsons that mostly plagued the city's West End. The money was allocated while the arsons were still raging.