GALLIA COUNTY, Ohio — A former Ohio 911 dispatcher has been federally charged with crimes related to at least 24 arson fires in Wayne National Forest since the spring.
James Bartels, 50, of Patriot, Ohio, was taken into custody Tuesday and appeared in federal court in Columbus.
Bartels is an administrator for Greenfield Township Volunteer Fire Department and served as a 911 dispatcher for Gallia County in southern Ohio.
Court records state that law enforcement officers with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources witnessed a truck near Wayne Nationals Forest on Oct. 29. Bartels was seen on Dry Ridge Road.
Within an hour, a fire was reported in the forest near Dry Ridge and Cauley Creek roads.
In the days after Bartels resigned from working as a 911 dispatcher, at least 17 fires were lit. Court records say Bartels was seen at two separate locations in the vicinity of multiple fire starts within minutes of their ignition.
In an interview, Bartels admitted to starting the fires with a lighter to “give the boys something to do” and distract himself from depression, according to court records.
He identified 24 arson fires that he was responsible for.
Bartels is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court on Jan. 3, 2023, for a preliminary hearing.
Willfully committing arson is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
