Fire officials believe arsonist is to blame for brush fires in Altavista

ALTAVISTA — Fire officials believe an arsonist is to blame for at least seven brush fires in and north of Altavista on Sunday afternoon.

The fires found along Clarion, Dearing Ford and Riverbend roads were all called in or discovered within 30 minutes of each other, Campbell County Fire Marshal Rodney Lawson said.

“When the wind is up like this and the humidity is down, it’s not uncommon to have one or two fires, but seven, all within 30 minutes, that’s what makes this suspicious,” Lawson said.

The fires were discovered one after another by residents and by firefighters on their way to other fires. As the number of calls stacked up, fire officials called in help from Evington, Hurt, Gladys and the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Altavista Fire Co. Chief John Tucker said most of the fires were limited to the ditches where they were started. The fires typically burned along 50 to 100 feet of roadway and back up the ditch embankments. The left side of the Riverbend Road leading down to the Otter River was scorched dozens of feet back into the wood line in some places.

The fire at Dewberry Lane and Dearing Ford Road was the largest, Tucker said. Five acres between the roadway and U.S. 29 were consumed. Department of Forestry firefighters used a bulldozer there to help get the blaze under control.

Dearing Ford Road was closed for about an hour and a half between Clarion Road and U.S. 29 while firefighters worked on the blaze.

The fires were reported just before 3 p.m., he said, and were out by 6:20.

Altogether, Tucker said, 63 people came to fight the fires with 11 different fire trucks or other vehicles. In addition to the fire companies and marshal, Altavista Police Department and Campbell County Department of Public Safety were dispatched, Lawson said.

The fires are being investigated by the Campbell County Fire Marshal’s office and the Virginia Department of Forestry, Lawson said. Investigators are looking into reports of a specific vehicle seen near one of the fires, he said.

Anyone with information about them is asked to call (434) 332-9574.