Arson suspected in large Harrison County woods fire

The Harrison County woods fire is suspected to be arson.

After days of battling a blaze that burned nearly 2,000 acres in Harrison County last week, evidence is starting to point to arson, according to Harrison County Fire Marshal Pat Sullivan.

To battle the fire, more than 80 pieces of apparatus equipment was in use and more than 150 firefighters were at work.

Sullivan says through the investigation they were able to rule out weather and accidental causes and there were no burn permits issued for that area. “Harrison County Fire Marshal’s Office, Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, and the State Fire Marshal’s Office came together this morning. We went back out there to the scene and walked the area that we believed the fire started. We looked at all the possible causes, ruling out all of those things that didn’t make sense and did not prove to be the case. Everything we saw just points to somebody set the fire.”

There is a $5,000 reward for anyone with information that leads to conviction of the person responsible for starting the fire.