KEARNEYSVILLE, WV (WOAY) – The West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office has identified arson as the cause of an early morning Sunday fire that resulted in the death of a W.Va. Air National Guard firefighter.
The airman assigned to the 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg was fatally injured during a mutual aid response call to the structure fire on Charles Town Road with the 167th Fire Department.
SFMO investigators have connected that 1:56 a.m. fire with a second structure fire that occurred at around 1:36 a.m. also on Charles Town Road in neighboring Jefferson County. The structures were vacant and not in use, and about 3.1 miles apart. Both fires were intentionally set, investigators have determined.
The SFMO and the W.Va. State Police continue to investigate. Anyone with any information is urged to call the West Virginia Arson Hotline at (800) 233-3473. There is a reward of up to $5,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
