40 Irmo Fires Believed to be Arson

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — “Somebody’s not very happy. Basically, that’s what it looks like someone’s angry,” says Chief Fire Marshal Jeff Allen, Irmo Fire District. Monday afternoon, we toured some of the damage left by 40-45 fires, that Allen says, were set intentionally. “In some places every 10 feet in some places every 50 feet on a trail, just off a trail were fires, not something that would happen in that pattern accidentally,” says Allen Allen says fires started just after 5:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon in the woods behind the old K-Mart near the Seven Oaks Shopping Center. We’re told about a dozen fires were set in that location and while firefighters battled those, they received word of more fires just up the road. “They received advice from dispatch that there was a lot of smoke behind the Shaw plant and the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission development,” says Allen In all, Allen says, fire crews worked 40-45 fires. The fires were out around 9:35 p.m. Sunday. Monday, the search for those responsible continued. “You usually don’t catch someone until they set about 34 fires. But, that’s 34 fires on different dates. You don’t normally have this many fires all within a three-to-four hour span. So, this is quite unusual,” says Allen If you have any information in this case, you’re asked to call the Fire Marshal at 798-4979 or to remain anonymous, you can call the Arson Hotline at 1-800-92-ARSON.