Ohio Investigators Rule 4 Church Fires Arson as US Violence Against Churches on the Rise

A string of rural Ohio church fires has left both parishioners and investigators with many questions and few answers.

"We haven't had...a graffiti situation, we haven't had anything left at the scene that would say that there's hatred toward the Church, or hatred towards God. We don't have any of those factors," said Josh Hobbs, Chief of the Ohio Fire Marshal's Fire and Explosion Investigation Bureau. 

Hobbs tells CBN News they are now confident these are all acts of arson and were likely committed by the same person or group of people. 

"So a couple of these churches, perhaps, were unoccupied at the time of the fire and had no electric service...so we knew there was a human act involved. And then when you have other fires in that area, you know, you start putting two and two together...you have a pattern," Hobbs explained.

The first fire happened at Kokeen Enterprise Baptist in April of 2022. Then nothing for two years, until May, July, and August of this year, when three more churches were set on fire, all in close proximity to the first.

"The timing and geography of these fires, the type of churches, all those things, they're all very similar in appearance, very similar in nature, where they're at, the desolate nature of the churches. You know, when you look at the map, although it's kind of in the middle of nowhere, they almost make a little triangle," said Chief Hobbs.

Churches in America are experiencing record levels of violence and hostility. A Family Research Council Report shows incidents have more than doubled since 2022, with a majority reported as vandalism or arson.

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Hobbs says, that with such a high threat level, awareness of what's happening around your building is key.

"Now, in 2024, the ability to have some surveillance, some sort of surveillance equipment is...whether it's just a Ring type camera...if you have something on the front, the back, you know, you'd be amazed what they catch," Hobbs said.

The Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office is committed to solving this case, telling CBN News that until the suspect or suspects are apprehended, there's always a risk they could not only strike again but escalate their attacks.

"Are they going to start getting brazen? So that's the concern... are they going to get brazen, or are they going to get burned out on churches, no pun intended, to move on to something more significant? Or are they going to escalate away from fire?" explained Hobbs.

Thanks to tips from the public, investigators are looking into another Church fire from this year, just across the river in Kentucky. A total of $10,000 in reward money is now being offered by law enforcement for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible for these fires, and Chief Hobbs says a member of the public has added another $5,000 to that offer. 

If you have information you can contact SFM's tip line at 800-589-2728 or the ATF's tip line at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (888-283-8477). Individuals may also email ATFTips@atf.gov or contact ATF through its website at atf.gov/contact/atf-tips.