Up to $5K reward offered for suspected arsons

There’s a potentially $5,000 reward for any information about three fires so far in Washington County. Investigators suspect they have been started intentionally.

The first was reported at 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 27, at 9446 South Stone Bridge Rd. in Salem. During the investigation, it was discovered another structure on the property was set on fire in November 2018.

On the evening of March 18, several people called in a fire at the Bodenbender farm at 3766 West Mt. Carmel Rd. in Salem. It, too, was reported around 9:45 p.m. Sheriff Brent Miller said investigators are entertaining the possibility these fires are somehow connected.

In between those fires, on March 13, investigators believe an unoccupied home was set on fire at 1169 S. Liberty Church Rd. in Pekin. Video surveillance of the home showed the fire was also set at night.

“The strange thing is we received no calls about the fire,” said Miller. “The property owner discovered it burned several days later. This time of year, we get calls about people burning brush, so why not a house?”

Miller said the Indiana Fire Marshal came to take samples and assist in the investigations, which can sometimes take a while.

“Fortunately, there was no loss of life, but there’s been hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage,” said Miller. “Arson is easy to prove, but it’s not very easy to prove who did it.”

Investigators ask the public to call the Indiana Fire Marshal at 317-504-7148 or call the arson tip line at 1-800-382-4628 with any information regarding the fires. There is a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person or people responsible. The amount of the reward is dependent on the value of the information as determined by the International Association of Arson Investigators. You do not have to give your name with your information. If you would rather, you may also mail your information to P.O. Box 80132, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46280.