CHARLESTON, W.VA. — West Virginia Division of Forestry’s Special Operations Unit Investigator John Bird arrested a Kanawha County man for a pair of March 21 wildfires on Dutch Hollow Road in Dunbar.
Jerry Allen Burgess, 22, of Charleston, is charged with two counts of felony setting fires to lands of another. Burgess is currently being held at the South Central Regional Jail.
The wildfires occurred at around 3:45 p.m. on March 21 and burned seven acres of forested land. There were no reported injuries to civilians or firefighters.
A Div. of Forestry wildfire suppression crew quickly assessed the situation upon responding to the scene and called in the agency’s Special Operations Unit to investigate. The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the arrest. Dunbar fire and police departments also responded to the incident.
Anyone with information about arson fires can contact Forestry’s Special Operations Unit by calling its arson hotline at 1-800-233-FIRE or by reporting online at wvforestry.com/report-a-violation. Additional contact information for WV Forestry’s regional offices can be found at wvforestry.com/contact-us.
