According to the original report, a fire was set at 144 Marne Ave., in the Highland Bend district near Wheelersburg, and then spread to 136 Marne Ave. Both of those homes were destroyed by fire, while a house at 128 Marne Ave. sustained considerable heat damage.
Shane Cartmill, Public Information officer for the state fire marshal's office, said all of the houses were vacant at the time, and the home that was set on fire had no utility service.
"We ruled the fires the result of arson," Cartmill said. "And we determined that based on physical evidence at the scene."
He said one firefighter sustained a minor injury battling the fires.
"Injuries to firefighters is something people may not think about with vacant structure fires," Cartmill said. "Above and beyond the fact that arson is a crime, fires in vacant structures put the firefighters at great risk because of unknown hazards, such as disrepair, boarded or nailed windows, potentially dangerous items that are knowingly stored inside and the uncertainty of whether or not a homeless person or vandal has taken shelter inside."
He also said investigators have conducted formal and informal interviews with witnesses since the investigation began Thursday.
According to the Scioto County Sheriff's Office report, the house at 144 Marne Ave., was owned by Dorsie Green, the owner of the house at 136 Marne Ave., is unknown, and Donald Evans is listed as the owner of the house at 128 Marne Ave.
"There is a Blue Ribbon Arson Reward of up to $5,000 being offered for any information leading to the identification of the persons responsible for the fires," Cartmill said. "We are still actively investigating the fires at Reno's Restaurant, the Columbia Theatre, McConnell Avenue in Portsmouth, and, of course, now the Wheelersburg fires."
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