LOGAN, W.Va. — The state Fire Marshal’s made an arrest Monday afternoon in connection one of the recent arson fires in Logan.
Dorsey Ray Darby, 52, of Dingess Street in Logan, was charged with first degree arson in connection with the blaze last Thursday that began at 45 High Street. The blaze destroyed five buildings and three vehicles.
Darby confessed to setting the blaze, according to a criminal complaint. He told investigators he used a pink cigarette lighter to light a rag and other ordinary items hanging from a window of the structure.
Darby was arraigned in Logan County Magistrate Court and is being held on $100,000 bail at the Southwestern Regional Jail.
The arrest came just hours after another suspicious fire in Logan.
“It was a two-unit apartment, both unoccupied, the amount of fire and the way the fire behaved we’re looking at it as a very suspicious fire,” said Logan Fire Chief Scott Beckett told MetroNews. “Especially considering all of the events we’ve have going on in the last three weeks.”
Those events have resulted in the destruction of a dozen structures in just over three weeks. Most of those have been vacant homes, but a few were occupied. So far nobody has been injured, but Beckett worries it’s just a matter of time.
“We’re going to end up in a situation where we’ve got kids in it. Heaven forbid that.” he said. “You’ve also got to take into consideration our men. We don’t want any of them to get hurt either. This is not routine. We’re looking at upwards of 20 fires in four or five weeks. Most departments don’t fight 20 fires in two years.”
Beckett believes there will be more arrests. He thinks it was a group of individuals who may know one another, but are only loosely connected. He said it’s a shame because those who live in the neighborhood are living in fear and shouldn’t be.
“It’s getting to the point of ridiculous,” said Beckett. “It’s come to the point where something’s got to give. We need somebody in the public to come forward and give us some information. These people really need to take their community back.”
Adding to Beckett’s worries are the places the fires are happening. He said the homes burning are old and were built at a time before there was any consideration given to zoning or planning in the city. He said the proximity makes a fire in one house, potentially fire in an entire row of houses.
“Our men came in and made another huge save. We protected structures on three sides,” said Beckett of Monday’s fire. “Everything is close quarters because back in the day they built right on top of one another. Our main priority when we leave the station is just to keep everybody else’s house safe.”