A former fire department administrator and police officer was sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to starting dozens of fires in Wayne National Forest. James A. Bartels, 52, of Rio ...

A former Ohio Fire Administrator will spend time in jail after he started dozens of arson fires in a national forest.

James A. Bartels, 52, of Rio Grande, Ohio, started 26 fires in the national forest in 2022, creating a substantial risk of death or significant injury to the public, as well as to firefighters from ...

For example, a person may report a suspected fire, but when crews arrive, they determine there is no fire or risk of fire. This type of call would still get categorized as a fire. It may be helpful to ...