HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The Highlawn neighborhood in Huntington has been making news recently with several fires.

Many older homes have been sold and converted into apartments and the neighborhood is seeing its share of drug related activity.

Robbie Campbell said is pays to get involved. For one, it seems his neighborhood is burning around him. And there also seems to be a growing drug problem, that’s seeping in.

Campbell said, “There’s a place right here on the corner. It doesn't even have glass in the windows, but there's people who live there and we know what they do.”

Thomas May owns the home on Collis Avenue that is the scene of Huntington’s latest murder investigation. In this, Bradley Watson is accused of murder after allegedly setting the fire. A 61 year old woman was trapped on the second floor and died.

May said, “My son and granddaughter came close to almost getting burned up. If it hadn't been for the lady upstairs a hollerin', they probably would have been burned up.”

The city's Fire Marshall, David Bias, confirms the Highlawn neighborhood has seen a slight spike in calls in recent months.

Bias said, “We have seen an increase when drug element is introduced in the neighborhood, we have seen an increase of those type fires.”

May doesn't know why Bradley Wilson set his home on fire. He said he’d seen him around the neighborhood and property before, with a former tenant. And he plans on seeing him again when he goes to court.

Highlawn Neighborhood Watch presenting workshop on "Creating a Drug Free Neighborhood" will be on May 17th. The workshop is the 3rd in the series of Safe Neighborhood Workshops. It will be held 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary's Medical Center's Heart Institute in room 205.

The workshops are free open to anyone in the Huntington area.