Maysville Watch

The city has been battling fires since January-- believed to be the work of an arsonist. Residents say the person or persons setting these fires is getting braver. Originally the fires were only popping up at night, but now residents say someone`s starting them in broad daylight. Maysville farmers have lost hundreds of acres of land to fire after fire. And while the volunteer fire department is becoming strapped for resources, whoever is starting the fires seems to grow bolder. Several structures have been destroyed, including a barn full of hay that had just been sold to other farmers. This afternoon a fire was started right next to the fire station. Jimmy Singleton`s property went up in flames at around eleven-thirty monday morning. Singleton says Maysville residents have had enough, and community members need to band together. "I am ready to stand up and ask for help, and my family is scared, my daughter won`t even sleep in her bedroom now at night. We`re just asking that the community come together, people that are driving through this area keep your eyes open and just help us out," he says. The Benton County Sheriff`s Department and Decatur Police Department have set up a three-thousand dollar reward for any information leading to the arrest of the arsonist. The Maysville Fire Department urges residents to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity, and to report it to the Benton County Sheriffs Office. If you`d like to make a donation towards the reward you can stop by the Decatur State Bank in any of it`s three locations.