Woman Leaves Trail of Trash-Can Fires in Midtown Manhattan A woman who the authorities said was in her 50s led police officers and firefighters on a chase through Midtown Manhattan on Monday for more than an hour, as she set at least 15 trash cans on fire. Her accelerant of choice was a mystery, said Mark Rosenbaum, a Fire Department chief, but "whatever she's using, she's got to be running out of it." There were no immediate suspects or arrests. The first fire, in front of the of the New York Public Library at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, was set at about 3 p.m. About the same time, a 911 call came in reporting a fire about a block away, at Madison Avenue. More reports followed in rapid succession, from Fifth Avenue to Lexington Avenue, from 41st to 45th Streets. Two fires were set in the Grand Central subway station before the women apparently returned to street level, Mr. Rosenbaum said. "We thought she left our area, but evidently not," he said. Dave Sinclair, who works for an airport bus service, said he saw her on Madison Avenue. "She's like this short," he said, holding his hand about five feet off the ground. She had a little shopping cart, black jacket, brown pants and brown hat. She was walking up this way. All of a sudden, all the cans were on fire. Chief Rosenbaum said three engines and two trucks responded to the small fires, which left melted, twisted receptacles that Grand Central Partnership workers hurried to replace. The suspect may have set similar fires in the area two weeks ago, the chief said.