New Castle residents may breathe a little easier, now that arrests have been made in a series of arsons.

But criminal charges filed against six adults and two juveniles hardly constitutes the end of the story or a reason to assume there will be no more fires. For one thing, the individuals charged are innocent until proven guilty. Second, police say their investigation is continuing and more arrests may be forthcoming.

Still, last week’s roundup of suspects is good news in a community that can always use some. The arrests appear to be the result of an alert citizenry, old-fashioned police work and perhaps a little luck.

We also should mention that the city is fortunate there were no serious injuries from these fires. Things could have been much worse.

While there may be good reason to celebrate the break in the case, we must stress that the underlying conditions behind these arsons continue to be concerns in New Castle. Abandoned houses, dilapidated properties and a financially distressed local government and populace were all factors in this series of crimes. The potential for more mischief is quite real.

We note there has been a positive response to these fires. Not only have the city and its departments been diligent in fighting the fires and targeting the culprits, but the public also has been engaged.

The I CARE House in particular has sought to find a silver lining in the arson cloud by bringing residents together. The non-profit organization has encouraged people to take a broader view of the challenges New Castle faces and develop ways to address them.

Working to minimize some of the factors behind these arsons will produce multiple benefits. These mesh with proposals to create stronger standards for landlords in the city.

So long as New Castle has a glut of older homes, and they are not being improved or properly maintained, they will continue to be what the law terms “attractive nuisances.” Allegedly, at least some of the arsons in the city were linked to efforts to remove copper plumbing from abandoned houses. This is an ongoing crime, often attributed to drug users seeking quick cash to fund their habits.

It’s not unreasonable to see New Castle’s arsons as the tip of a larger iceberg of community problems. Stamping out these fires must be seen as part of a broader effort at civic engagement. We hope that recent efforts along these lines will continue.