Ohio Firefighter Admits to Setting 26 Forest Fires—To ‘Give the Boys Something To Do!’
An Ohio fire official lit 26 wildfires to keep firefighters busy, destroying 1,300 acres and landing himself in federal prison. 🌐 #News #ColumbusOH #Ohio #Crime
COLUMBUS, OH – A former Ohio fire official will spend 18 months in federal prison after admitting to setting 26 destructive fires in Wayne National Forest. His reason? To ensure local firefighters had plenty of action.
James Bartels, 52, once an administrator for the Greenfield Township Volunteer Fire Department and a 911 dispatcher, confessed to igniting the arson fires in 2022. U.S. District Court Judge Algenon Marbley handed him the sentence and ordered him to pay over $638,000 in restitution for the damage caused.
A Shocking Admission: Fires Started For Thrill
Court documents reveal that Bartels began the dangerous spree shortly after resigning from his position with the Greenfield Township fire department.
His motivation, as he admitted, was to “give the boys something to do.”
Using a lighter, Bartels sparked fire after fire, unleashing chaos across Ohio’s natural landscape.
The arson spree came to law enforcement’s attention on October 29, 2022. Officers with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources spotted a truck registered to Bartels parked near the site of a fire that broke out shortly after.
This was just the beginning of his unraveling.
Surveillance And Evidence Build The Case
Bartels resigned from his position as a Gallia County 911 dispatcher on November 8, 2022. Immediately after his resignation, at least 17 additional fires erupted in the region.
Investigators discovered that Bartels had been spotted near at least two of the fires mere minutes after they began.
Adding to the evidence was data from his truck’s infotainment system, which placed him at the scenes of the blazes multiple times.
The Aftermath: Acres Of Forest Destroyed
The fires were devastating, scorching approximately 1,300 acres of state and federal land. More than 100 firefighters were needed to battle the infernos, with reinforcements coming in from other states to contain the destruction.
Bartels’ reckless actions not only endangered wildlife and the environment but also risked the safety of the firefighters he once worked alongside. Now, he faces the consequences of his actions behind bars.
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