Pine Bluff Arson Task Force Investigates Rising Arson Cases
By: Brittney Johnson, KARK 4 News
Updated: February 13, 2013
One Arkansas town battling serial arsonists continues seeing the number of arson fires rise.
Pine Bluff fire crews say arsonists have targeted homes and businesses within the past month, now fire investigators are partnering with police to piece together clues and then track down suspects.
Resident and business owner Billy Batemon is one of the latest victims.
Batemon says he named his business "Ole School", referring to the ages of the men who serviced cars there.
"Everybody here is old guys," says Batemon.
Now the logo is the only recognizable piece of the business after flames melted the stalls and supplies to the ground.
"It meant everything to me," he says, looking at the charred car parts. "My livelihood is gone down the drain."
Fire investigators say Batemon's shop was one of seven structures set on fire on purpose in January, along with three vacant homes and three occupied homes.
"We have individuals setting structures on fire due to disagreement," says Pine Bluff Fire Lt. Randy Compton.
For years, arsonists have torched dozens of abandoned properties. In 2012, there were 71 vacant home arson cases. So far in 2013, they're up for the month of January.
"This list consists of the way we have been tracking fires," Lt. Compton points out.
The city created a task force to focus on solving these cases before something worse happens.
"We take arson very serious because we don't want any of our firefighters to get injured or have anyone inside," he says.
Batemon is grateful no one was hurt when his business burned but says the damage is still devastating to his business and morale across the city.
"They wait till you make it, then they take it," he says.
There have been three arsonists convicted in Pine Bluff cases over the last three years.
Pine Bluff fire crews say arsonists have targeted homes and businesses within the past month, now fire investigators are partnering with police to piece together clues and then track down suspects.
Resident and business owner Billy Batemon is one of the latest victims.
Batemon says he named his business "Ole School", referring to the ages of the men who serviced cars there.
"Everybody here is old guys," says Batemon.
Now the logo is the only recognizable piece of the business after flames melted the stalls and supplies to the ground.
"It meant everything to me," he says, looking at the charred car parts. "My livelihood is gone down the drain."
Fire investigators say Batemon's shop was one of seven structures set on fire on purpose in January, along with three vacant homes and three occupied homes.
"We have individuals setting structures on fire due to disagreement," says Pine Bluff Fire Lt. Randy Compton.
For years, arsonists have torched dozens of abandoned properties. In 2012, there were 71 vacant home arson cases. So far in 2013, they're up for the month of January.
"This list consists of the way we have been tracking fires," Lt. Compton points out.
The city created a task force to focus on solving these cases before something worse happens.
"We take arson very serious because we don't want any of our firefighters to get injured or have anyone inside," he says.
Batemon is grateful no one was hurt when his business burned but says the damage is still devastating to his business and morale across the city.
"They wait till you make it, then they take it," he says.
There have been three arsonists convicted in Pine Bluff cases over the last three years.
