GALLIA COUNTY, Ohio — An Ohio fire department dispatcher, James Bartles, is accused of setting at least two dozen fires to “distract himself from depression,” according to the U.S. Forestry Service.
Bartles appeared in federal court on Tuesday to face charges related to the fires.
According to court documents, over 40 suspected wildfires were set since the spring of 2022 on federal lands in the Wayne National Forest. Bartles reportedly admitted to lighting multiple fires “to give the boys something to do,” and “to distract himself from depression.”
The Forestry Service says one fire on October 29 was allegedly set by Bartles before resigning from his position at the Greenfield Township Volunteer Fire Department on November 8. Following his resignation over a dozen more fires occurred.
According to the United States Justice Department, “an affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint, Ohio Department of Natural Resources law enforcement officers observed a truck registered to Bartels near Wayne National Forest on Oct. 29, 2022. Bartels was observed on Dry Ridge Road. Within an hour, a fire was reported in the forest near Dry Ridge Road and Cauley Creek Road.”
Bartels is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in U.S. District Court on Jan. 3, 2023, in Columbus.
Willfully committing arson is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
The U.S. Forestry Service has not released any further details on the investigation.