ATF Offering $8,000 Reward In Investigation Into Indiana Co. Suspicious Fires
INDIANA, Pa. (KDKA) -- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering a reward for information on a rash of suspicious fires dating back to last year.
According to the ATF, the fires have all happened in northern Indiana County.
They "have all been deemed suspicious or as otherwise noted as incendiary," and the ATF is now offering an $8,000 reward for information that leads to the identification and arrests of a suspect or suspects.
The first incident was reported in August 2018 and the latest in late March.
ATF officials list these incidents, which remain under investigation:
- August 9, 2018 – Farmhouse/Garage – Alabran Road, Smicksburg, PA
- December 15, 2018 – Barn – Wolf Road, Smicksburg, PA
- December 21, 2018 – Barn – State Route 954, Creekside, PA
- December 29, 2018 – Garage/Shed fire – Bailey Road, Washington Township, PA
- December 29, 2018 – Storage Building – Whitaker & Rudolph Road, North Mahoning Township
- January 25, 2019 – Amish Furniture Store, Stephenson Road, West Mahoning Township, PA*
- February 26, 2019 – Harmony Grove Lutheran Church, 5 Points Road, Creekside, PA*
- March 20, 2019 – Brush Fire – Getty and Pollock Roads, East Mahoning Township, PA
- March 28, 2019 – Barn Fire – Barnard Road, Dayton, PA
All of the locations are unoccupied or abandoned barns except for Harmony Grove Lutheran Church and the West Mahoning Township Amish Furniture store.
Damage to the church was substantial and one fireman was slightly hurt while trying to battle the blaze.
Creekside Fire Chief Cody Hitchings told KDKA News, "the fire started downstairs in the basement, under a table; and after we had worked about 45 minutes, my men found a second point of origin."
If you have information on these incidents, there are a number of ways to contact police.
You can call the ATF 24/7 hotline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-4-PA-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted online at www.pacrimestoppers.org, or emailed to ATFTips@atf.gov
