ROSS – UPDATED 05/04/2018: Investigators have determined the cause of the fire to be a human act. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered by the Blue Ribbon Arson Committee, for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the fire. Anyone with information is asked to call the State Fire Marshal’s office at 800-589-2728 or the Ross County Crime Stoppers line at 740-773-TIPS.
The Bainbridge Fire Department responded to a fire on the 100 block of Main Street in Bainbridge around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, May 1. Four structures involved in the fire are total losses, including apartment units, businesses and a car sales lot. The village administration building, including the mayor’s office sustained exterior damage. Some residential units were occupied at the time of the fire, but all escaped safely.
Eleven fire departments from four counties responded to the fire, which took nearly three hours to control. Firefighters were called back to the structure twice after the fire rekindled. The origin and cause of the fire are under investigation through the State Fire Marshal’s office in conjunction with the Ross County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators will be in the area locating additional witnesses and conducting interviews. Anyone with information relating to the fire is encouraged to call the State Fire Marshal’s office at 800-589-2728 or the Ross County Sheriff’s Office at 740-773-1185.
