Reward offered for information leading to capture of those responsible for fires

Enough is enough, that's the message Sheriff Ron Peckman wants to send to those who have been setting fires all over Vernon County. Over the weekend local firefighters responded to at least eight fires, five of them in the Bronaugh area. The fires have caused damage to land and buildings and have even resulted in injury to the firefighters responding to the blazes.

Steve Zoglmann, fire chief of the Milo Rural Fire Department, told the Associated Press on Feb. 14 that the largest of the fires his department had responded to at that time had consumed more than 600 acres of pasture and idled farmland about six miles east of Nevada before it was brought under control around 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14.

He said no one was hurt. Four other fires agencies helped his volunteer department fight the blaze.

''There's just a bunch of tired guys,'' he said. ''It was our fourth fire in 24 hours.''

He estimated the other three fires scorched a total of 100 to 150 acres.

Since Jan. 3, he told reporters there had been 14 to 16 fires in a roughly 125-square-mile area of southeast Vernon County, which his department covers. He said arson is suspected in most of the blazes, which have burned a total of between 1,000 and 2,000 acres and one vacant trailer house. He said there also have been several suspicious fires in other parts of the county.

''They seem to wait until the wind is really howling,'' he said. ''I don't know whether they like the fires or the blue lights, but it's been a pretty big rash. We don't normally have this many fires in months.''

Since then, fires continue to break out daily.

"I'm getting tired of this," Peckman said. "I've been out every night this week and a lot of other people have been donating time trying to find out who is doing this."

Now there is now a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible. Peckman thinks that might help induce someone to come forward and identify the culprits.

"We've gotten $1,000 together from donations," Peckman said. "We'd like to find out who's responsible and stop them. People will be looking harder now. That alone might slow this down."

Peckman said a second volunteer fireman had been injured over the weekend and the more fires firefighters responded to the more dangerous the situation became.

"There was a second fireman injured over the weekend," Peckman said. "These firemen are running ragged. These are guys who have regular jobs and families to think about and they're doing this for their communities. We need to get this stopped."

Lack of respect seems to be one reason for the spate of fires.

"Whoever is doing this just doesn't seem to have any respect for other people's property," Peckman said.

Peckman said he doesn't understand why the fires were being set but said it wasn't just confined to Vernon County.

"There are problems all over," Peckman said. "I don't know why it's spreading like it is, but there are a lot of places where this is happening. It's like huffing. It's been years since I've seen huffing and it seems to be coming back."

In order to reduce the risk of accidental fires Vernon County officials are asking local residents to voluntarily refrain from any outdoor burning until significant rains are received.

The National Weather Service has issued a fire watch along the Missouri/Kansas border because of extremely dry conditions and gusty, southwesterly winds.