String of recent Tampa fires may be connected

Name: Series of arson fires believed to be connected
Uploaded: 2025-03-14T17:58:20-04:00
Description: FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.

Series of arson fires believed to be connected

FOX 13's Kylie Jones reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - A string of recent suspicious fires has sparked an investigation into their possible connection.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue is investigating several fires this week that are all believed to be arson and all happened over a short period.

Early Tuesday, HCFR responded to a fire at the Smoke Bodega Smoke Shop and Indica Cafe Kava Bar on Sheldon Road.

The backstory:

The shop owners say they got a call about a fire early Tuesday morning.

Building fire at Smoke Bodega Smoke Shop and Indica Cafe Kava Bar.

"My dad's neighbor called, 'Your shop is on fire.' We were all in bed," Smoke Bodega and Indica Cafe Kava Bar co-owner Lidiana Diaz said.

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The smoke shop opened in 2016, and the kava bar opened in the building’s adjoining suite in 2019.

The building was destroyed, and the owners of the shop say they lost everything.

"This is our income," Diaz said. "This is our livelihood. We put everything we had into this business."

HCFR says several other fires were set nearby the following night.

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"There's no reason for it," Smoke Bodega and Indica Cafe Kava Bar co-owner Aileen Diaz said. "There's no reason for it."

Dig deeper:

Overnight Wednesday, HCFR crews responded to a fire at Secrets Gentleman's Club on Hillsborough Avenue. Investigators say there was a fire set to the building and a car in the parking lot.

Secrets Gentleman's Club on Hillsborough Ave.

There was also an exterior fire outside Curaleaf Dispensary on Sheldon Road. Investigators say the fire was put out before it damaged the interior of the building.

Around the same time, Tampa Fire Rescue responded to a fire at the Pink Pony Showgirls adult entertainment club on N. Lois Ave. in Tampa.

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Tampa Fire Rescue responding to a fire at Pink Pony Showgirls.

"At this point, we were able to determine that was arson," Chris Stone, a fire investigator with Tampa Fire Rescue said. "So, it was intentionally set."

Tampa police arrested Arvin Solimanpoor, 29, in connection with the fire. He's facing several charges, including arson.

Mugshot of Arvin Solimanpoor. Courtesy: Orient Road Jail.

All of these fires happened within 24 to 36 hours.

"It's hard to describe," Lidiana Diaz said. "Everything you put into something is just taken away."

Big picture view:

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue is working with Tampa Fire Rescue to determine whether the other fires are connected to the one at Pink Pony Showgirls.

Tampa Fire Rescue responding to fires at Pink Pony Showgirls adult entertainment club.

The Diazes hope the person responsible for the fires is found. However, they are still left to rebuild everything that they worked so hard to build.

"We're not the only ones affected," Lidiana Diaz said. "My employees are affected. Our landlord is affected. The community is affected."

What's next:

They're working to sell some of their products in a makeshift outdoor shop and help give their employees the chance to continue working.

They also hope to eventually operate out of some type of food truck. However, they are unsure how they will rebuild their entire business or how long it will take.

Solimanpoor is only charged with the fire at Pink Pony Showgirls.

The Source: FOX 13's Kylie Jones collected the information in this story.

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