Former fire official sentenced to prison for igniting multiple fires in Wayne National Forest
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A former fire official from southeastern Ohio has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $638,000 in restitution after admitting to starting more than two dozen fires in Wayne National Forest using a lighter, federal prosecutors announced on Monday. James Bartels, who previously worked as an administrator for the Greenfield Township Volunteer Fire Department, revealed in an interview with authorities that he set the fires to keep himself occupied and alleviate his depression, court documents revealed. The fires, which occurred in 2022, burned approximately 1,300 acres of land and required the response of over 100 firefighters from multiple states.
U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley handed down the sentence, which includes 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Bartels was also ordered to compensate the U.S. Forest Service for the damages caused by the fires and register with Ohio’s arson registry. According to court records, Bartels confessed to starting 26 out of the 40 suspected arson fires in Wayne National Forest in 2022.
During his time with the Greenfield Fire Department, investigators found that Bartels was present at the scene shortly after the fires were reported. Additionally, his truck was spotted near the forest when fires were ignited on multiple occasions. Bartels, who also worked as a police officer and a 911 dispatcher, resigned from his dispatch position in November 2022, after which a significant number of fires were set in the area.
Human activity, including intentional and accidental actions, is the primary cause of wildland fires, as per federal data. Last year, human-caused wildfires in the U.S. accounted for nearly 89% of all wildfires and burned over 8.9 million acres. In January 2025, there were over 2,100 wildfires burning 64,038 acres, with California experiencing wind-driven blazes that contributed to the unusually high acreage burned.
The sentencing comes in the wake of devastating wildfires in Southern California that resulted in fatalities and extensive property damage, with lawsuits being filed against utilities accused of sparking the fires.
The fires, which raged for weeks in the presence of strong winds, dry vegetation, and low humidity, were exacerbated by the actions of the individual, contributing to their spread. This article was first published in The Columbus Dispatch: Ex-fire official from Ohio gets sentencing for starting more than twenty fires.
