Fire officials: Arsonist torches fifth abandoned structure since Labor Day
CAMDEN TWP. — A suspected arsonist torched a fifth abandoned building in southern Hillsdale County since the beginning of September, fire investigators believe.
“We are working diligently, hand in hand, with fire officers to investigate these suspicious fires,” Detective Sgt. Dan Bowman said Tuesday. “Our Fire Marshall Division has been brought in on this and is up to speed.”
Bowman declined further comment, citing an ongoing investigation.
The Montgomery Fire Department, Camden Fire Department and Fremont (Indiana) Fire Department responded to the fifth incident Tuesday afternoon at a home on Austin Road abandoned long ago.
More:Fire razes abandoned home in Woodbridge Township, sparking investigation
Fire officials believed the home had been vacated for possibly two decades and Tuesday’s fire marked the second reported structure fire at the location — 9700 Austin Road — since Sept. 1. A second abandoned structure further down the same drive was set ablaze in early September.
Camden Fire Chief Mike Kurtz showed The Hillsdale Daily News five separate incident reports where his department had responded to fires at abandoned homes or structures in September.
Kurtz said the first four incidents — the abandoned structure at the Austin Road address, two vacant barns on Grange Road and an abandoned house on Burt Road in neighboring Woodbridge Township — were all set between midnight and 3 a.m.
Tuesday’s fire on Austin Road marked a possible shift in modus operandi with the fire being set during the daylight hours. A 911 call was received on the incident around noon.
Officials said that whatever the arsonist is using as an accelerant is causing the fire to spread quickly and fully engulf the home or structure often times before area fire departments are alerted.
Each of the fire locations have been far off highly traveled routes, along rural desolate roads surrounded by farmland with few neighbors.
Prior to this rash of suspected arsons, the Montgomery Fire Department had not had a structure fire reported in their coverage area in three years.
Subscribe: Get unlimited access to our local coverage
Tuesday’s fire marks their fourth with the fifth suspected arson located in Woodbridge Township.
Camden Township has been the operating area of suspected arsonists in the past. In 2012, Robert Bennett Jr., John Bennett and Jason Walston were all arrested by the Michigan State Police after a number of fires broke out across the township that summer.
Authorities are asking for anyone with knowledge of these suspicious fires to contact the Michigan State Police Jackson Post at 517-780-4580.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Arsonist torches fifth abandoned structure since Labor Day
