Damage Estimated at $150K in String of Ohio Fires

A fire investigator estimates there’s at least $150,000 in damage from more than a dozen fires that broke out in one central Ohio community within a couple of hours.

The first fire was reported in a garage shortly before 1 a.m. Firefighters worked more than a dozen fires across the city by 2:30 a.m.

Fire officials in Lancaster say no one was injured in the fires they believe were set deliberately early Thursday at sites including homes, a garage, cars and trash bins. Two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion.

The newspaper reports authorities aren’t sure about possible motives.

The fires burned homes, a garage, cars and trash bins, all within a 12-block radius. A fire captain described the scene as “a war zone.”