A former 911 dispatcher is facing federal charges after he admitted to deliberately setting dozens of fires across Ohio this year to “give the boys something to do.”
James Bartels, the 50-year-old administrator at the Greenfield Township Volunteer Fire Department, was arrested Tuesday and appeared in court later in the day to face federal arson charges.
Bartels is accused of starting 24 blazes in Wayne National Forest since last spring before reporting them to his colleague firefighters.
Officials began suspecting Bartels in October when his vehicle was spotted near the Cauley Fire.
Days later, he was spotted near the sites of two blazes after at least 17 fires were reported in the area.
When questioned by police earlier this month, Bartels admitted to intentionally lighting the fires using a lighter to “give the boys something to do” and also to fight his depression.
He allegedly identifies 24 fires he was responsible for on a map. Data from his truck’s infotainment system placed him at the same sites.
