Macoupin County Sheriff, Illinois Fire Marshal arrest suspect in series of arson fires
Law enforcement officials have arrested a suspect they believe is responsible for a series of arson fires, including one that injured a firefighter.
The Macoupin County Sheriff and Illinois State Fire Marshal made the arrest Tuesday evening, the sheriff’s office said in a release on social media.
At 6:06 p.m., sheriff’s deputies were notified of a fire at an abandoned house south of Carlinville on Illinois 4 next to Lake Williamson, the release stated. The Carlinville Fire District and the fire marshal were called to the scene as well.
There, officials were able to identify a suspect and make the arrest. The person’s name is not being released until charged are filed by the Macoupin County State’s Attorney’s Office.
An investigation into the fires has been going on for weeks, the sheriff’s office said.
The fires began in late January and targeted four barns full of hay over the period of a month. Those fires were around Carlinville, Gillespie and the Northwestern Fire Protection District.
On March 4, firefighters and sheriff’s deputies responded to four more fires in a little over four hours near Carlinville and Mount Olive. A volunteer firefighter from the Carlinville Fire District was injured that day.
“His injuries are enough that he’s not going to be able to work for a week,” Macoupin County Sheriff Shawn Kahl said in reference to the firefighter’s job outside the department.
Of the four fires on March 4, three were at barns. Hay bales were also set on fire, but the flames were contained.
A ninth fire was reported March 6 at an abandoned house northeast of Carlinville.
“People are really getting concerned, people that live out in the country and have barns on their property,” Kahl said at the time. “It’s real easy for these to spread from a barn to other structures.”
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