Two seperate fires in vacant homes on the Fourth Of July have been determined to be arsons.
The first fire was in Mentone, when Mentone Fire Department was called out to a blaze at 510 N. Franklin St.
The home, owned by Roger Long, was empty and being remodeled according to fire department officials.When crews arrived, the home was fully engulfed in flames and, according to a Mentone Fire Department official, the home was a total loss. Nobody was in the home at the time of the fire and the blaze is believed to have started on the first floor of the two-story home.
A nearby home suffered minor damage to siding during the blaze.
The fire was brought under control in less than 30 minutes.
An insurance company was on scene Monday and determined the fire to be an arson.
Burket assisted Mentone at the scene of the blaze.
The second blaze happened near Kuhn Lake at a home on EMS B6 Lane, North Webster, Friday night around 11 p.m.
According to North Webster Fire Department Chief Jeremy Lukens, the home, whose owner has not been determined yet, was vacant.
There was no determination on where the fire was started.
The home was deemed a total loss and it took crews a half hour to get the blaze under control.
Pierceton and Syracuse Fire Departments assisted the North Webster Fire Department.
Warsaw Fire Department Chief of Inspections Mike Wilson, along with ATF-trained canine Bailey, were called to both scenes.
Both fires are currently being investigated by the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department.
A third fire involving a trailer fire in Claypool is also being investigated. According to KCSD, the fire, details of which were unavailable of this morning, was called in at a later date by the owner.
WFD Fire Chief Mike Rice stated that fire departmetns themselves rarely determine whether a fire is an arson and that is usually left to police and/or insurance companies.
The owner told police that after the fire, copper wire was taken from the residence.
