In case you missed it in the briefly noted in this morning’s news round-up, someone has been setting garbage can fires in Senate bathrooms for a few days now. On Wednesday there were four such fires between 10:45 a.m. and 2 p.m., thankfully quickly extinguished. Police say Wednesdays’ fires are connected (duh). And it turns out that similar fires were lit last week. From (subscription-only) Roll Call:

Three of the fires set Wednesday took place in women’s restrooms in the Dirksen Building, while one took place in Hart. The Sept. 26 and 28 fires were similar to Wednesday’s, as they took place in women’s restrooms and were quickly extinguished by Capitol Police, Schneider said.

It is unclear who is behind the fires and why they have been set, but the department is actively trying to find those answers, Schneider said.

The Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms has since sent out an email to all Senate staffers informing them of the fires and asking to report suspicious activity. As Wonkette notes, wary staffers have been posting messages and images on The Capitolist message board such as a photo of Smokey the Bear giving the finger, with the message that “Only you can prevent office fires.”

The buildings that house the U.S. Congress have, of course, been the victims of flames in the past, most notably during the Burning of Washington in on August 24, 1814 (pictured), in 1930 in an accident which damaged the House Document Room, and more recently a small scare in 2002.

Hopefully U.S. Capitol Police will discover who is lighting these most recent fires, be they the act of political protesters or pyromaniacs, before any damage or injuries occur.