Staff report

Columbus — Federal, state and local investigators are seeking help from the public in a series of arson fires that have been set over the past two years at four churches in Lawrence and Gallia counties.
Four churches have been destroyed. The first fire was in Gallia County on April 23, 2022 at Kokeen Enterprise Baptist Church, Oak Hill.
This year there were three fires, the first on May 10 at Flag Springs Methodist Church, Patriot, in Gallia County. The next was on July 6 at Rehobeth Church in Waterloo and the last one was again in Gallia County which was the Fox-Fairview Church, Patriot, on Aug. 6.
All four churches were destroyed. No one was hurt in the fires.
Now, investigators with the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal (SFM), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Gallia and Lawrence County Sheriff’s Offices are seeking those responsible for the fires.
During the subsequent investigations, investigators with SFM determined the fires to be the result of intentional human acts. Given their close proximity to one another, the short time frame in which the most recent three fires have occurred, and other undisclosed similarities, investigators believe the same person or group of individuals may be responsible for all four fires.
“We are committed to finding the individual or individuals who are behind these senseless fires,” Ohio Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon said. “I am grateful to the ATF for matching the Blue Ribbon Arson Committee’s $5,000 reward to encourage the public to help us solve these cases before any more properties are destroyed, individuals are hurt, or lives are potentially lost.”
In addition to a $5,000 reward being offered by the Blue Ribbon Arson Committee, the ATF is offering $5,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible for these fires.
Anyone with information is urged to contact SFM’s tip line at 800-589-2728 or the ATF’s tip line at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (888-283-8477).
Individuals may also email ATFTips@atf.gov or contact ATF through its website at atf.gov/contact/atf-tips.
Tips may also be submitted to ATF using the ReportIt® app, available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store, or by visiting reportit.com.