North Columbus News

A former fire department administrator and police officer, James A. Bartels, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for starting 26 arson fires in Wayne National Forest. The incidents occurred in 2022 and posed significant risks to public safety and the lives of firefighters from various governmental levels who responded to the blazes.

Bartels, aged 52 and a resident of Rio Grande, Ohio, ignited fires that burned approximately 1,300 acres of federal and state land. The U.S. Forest Service reported expenditures exceeding $638,000 due to these events.

At the time of the offenses, Bartels was serving as an administrator at the Greenfield Township Volunteer Fire Department. He also held positions as a police officer across several Ohio law enforcement agencies and worked as a 911 dispatcher for Gallia County.

Court documents reveal that on October 29, 2022, officers from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources observed a truck registered to Bartels near Wayne National Forest shortly before a fire was reported nearby. Following his resignation as a dispatcher on November 8, at least 17 additional fires were set.

Bartels was identified at two separate locations close to multiple fire origins within minutes of their ignition times. Data from his truck's infotainment system confirmed his presence at these sites.

He confessed to using a lighter to start the fires with intentions "to give the boys something to do" and cope with personal depression issues.

Arrested in December 2022, Bartels pleaded guilty by September 2023. Alongside his prison sentence, he is required to pay $638,000 in restitution and register through the Ohio Arson Registry.

The sentencing announcement came from Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, alongside the U.S. Forest Service following Judge Algenon L. Marbley's decision on February 7. Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez represented the prosecution during sentencing proceedings.