10 Overnight Fires Point to Arson

Investigators in Benton County want to know who set multiple fires on the west side of the county overnight. KNWA`s Alexa Hamblin has the story. KNWA spoke to a state forestry agent this afternoon who said he won`t sleep until whoever set 10 grass fires between 8:00 last night and 5:00 this morning is behind bars. Firefighters from Sulphur Springs through Siloam Springs battled 10 fires for nine hours throughout the night. Our dry and windy conditions have made fires an all too common occurrence lately, but emergency workers quickly realized there was something unusual about this situation. Captain Tom Brewster with the Benton County Sheriff`s Office explains, "Looking at the number and frequency of the fires, it would be highly unlikely that these were of an accidental cause, we firmly believe that these were deliberately set." Investigators with the State Forestry Service and the Benton County Sheriff`s Office can`t tell us what else led them to the conclusion that this was the work of an arsonist, but they say the have collected some form of evidence at the origins of the fires. As far as who set the fires? They`re looking for your help. "We`re hoping that someone saw someone in the area, a car in the area, someone acting suspicious, or something of that nature," says Brewster. The 10 fires spanned the Maysville area, all the way down to Highway 412. Investigators say one patch of scorched earth was actually re-ignited by the arsonist or arsonists after firefighters left. Officials cannot stress enough how extreme the drought is that we are in right now. These fires threatened some homes and barns, but if they had been caught any later, they very well could have threatened lives. When caught, the Sheriff`s Office plans to charge those responsible with anything from a mid-level felony of arson, to a class Y felony with life imprisonment. If you have any information you think investigators can use, please call the Benton County Sheriff`s Office or the State Forestry Service. I`m Alexa Hamblin... For KNWA... Northwest Arkansas news.