Slum Lord Lightning?

Kitchen Fire Damages Madison Apartment Building.

So, a kitchen fire isn't all that unusual, especially with college students involved, but what if it WAS something more sinister? It could be:
1) an uncontrolled pyrokinetic almost burned down the building in a fit of anger. The PCs need to find them before anyone gets killed.

2) An unscrupulous landlord, and part-time occultist, is trying to cash in on his insurance and clear the land for redevelopment by summoning fire spirits to the building. The PCs are brought in by a friend who was at the building and saw a 'face in the flames.'

3) The foolish college students attempted to summon a dark power in the kitchen . .and that always works out well . . .

So, how would we see this in a fantasy campaign? Well, rather than a low-rent apartment, the scene changes to a slum in the bad part of town where ramshackle housing leans willy-nilly awaiting but a match to destroy countless lives.

1) An agent of a power opposed to the City is trying to burn the city, starting with seeming accidents, but his efforts will slowly escalte until he succeeds or is stopped.

2) An old-timey landlord wants to burn down the slum because he knows the city wants to build new buildings, but is having problems finding space inside the walls. Can the PCs stop this before there's a tragedy?

3) A salamander has taken up residence beneath the city and is unintentionally going to burn down the city, unless banished back to the Elemental Plane of Fire.