After 10 structure fires in about as many months, the TBI is seeking information in an ongoing probe into blazes believed to have been intentionally set around the town of Palmer, Tennessee, in Grundy County.
State agents say 10 suspicious fires have been sent in the past 10 to 12 months, and they all remain unsolved, according to a statement from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Anyone with a tip that leads to an arrest could get a $5,000 reward.
“We have received two tips,” agency spokesperson Carley Gordon said in an email. “We are in the process of investigating them.”
Meanwhile, the arson front has been quiet.
“We have not seen additional suspicious fires,” Gordon said. “We hope that anyone with information about who might be responsible for these fires will come forward.”
One of the suspicious blazes was reported in October at Palmer Elementary School, built 98 years ago, as well as nine other locations within a 2-mile radius of Palmer, state officials said.
In another arson investigation, Nicholas Callahan was arrested in connection with a March fire at the Palmer Market on charges including aggravated arson, aggravated vandalism and criminal trespassing, according to a Grundy County Sheriff’s Office statement. Callahan has not been connected with any of the other fires being investigated by the state agency.
“It’s just a matter of time before somebody gets hurt,” agent Michael Gamber said in an agency video on the investigation.
In rural communities like Grundy County, volunteer fire departments usually can’t respond fast enough to quench a blaze before there is heavy damage, he said.
“With today’s materials and stuff, it takes anywhere from five to seven minutes for a house to get fully involved,” Gamber said. “It’s a race against the clock you’re never going to win.”
Intentional fires create costs for members of a community, Gamber said.
“The damage and insurance rates are going to continue to go up as long as we continue to have fires that are unsolved,” he said.
(READ MORE: Grundy authorities, TBI seek leads in suspicious fire at historic church)
The first step toward answers must come from the community.
“Nobody knows the heartbeat of the community better than the people who live there,” Gamber said. “It’s going to take the community to say in one loud voice, ‘We’ve had enough.'”
State and local investigators urge anyone with information on any of the fires to call the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 800-762-3017. Tips can be anonymous.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.
