Arsonist sought in Gibson County house fire
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GIBSON COUNTY, Tenn. — An arsonist on the run leaves a home in ruins and a small Gibson County community on edge. This is the second arson in Gibson County in the past two weeks, and they’re less than a mile apart. The man accused of setting the first blaze was quickly found, and investigators hope they have the same luck with finding those responsible for this fire. Firefighters say the home, which was located off Highway 188 near the Eaton community, was vacant and being remodeled with no electricity and that all signs point to foul play “We’ve determined it to be arson,” Gibson County Fire Chief Bryan Cathey said. “It was set in multiple points inside the home. We then extinguished the fire with minimal damage.” Late last month, a fire just down the road also was considered arson, but in that case a suspect was caught. “Two arsons in less than two weeks, less than two miles apart,” Chief Cathey said. “It makes us wonder, is there something going on out here that we’re missing?” The Gibson County Sheriff’s Department as well as Tennessee Bomb and Arson are working together to burn arsonists. With the two recent fires happening so close together, they say they’re hoping for the public’s help now more than ever. “Money talks,” Chief Cathey said. “$2,500 is a nice chunk of change for some information.” And that money has residents hoping tips lead to arrests. “It makes me very uneasy, and I have two granddaughters out here,” Debbie Patterson, who dialed 911, said. “What if I was gone somewhere and someone came and set my house on fire? It’s scary.” To try to prevent it from happening again, officials said it’s all about working together to find those responsible. “We want to find out what’s going on, who did it and get them off the street, all to make the community a whole lot safer,” Cathey said. Investigators said they still are interviewing multiple witnesses as well as the homeowner in this case. They also recovered evidence that will be sent to the TBI crime lab in Nashville. Anyone with information about this fire is asked to call the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 800-762-3017. A $2,500 cash reward is being offered, and all callers can remain anonymous.
