15 fires in 7 hours: DeKalb man accused of arson during drought
Authorities arrested a DeKalb County man under suspicion of setting about 15 brush fires in less than seven hours in the Clarkston area, leaving firefighters rushing in darkness to contain the fast-moving flames in drought conditions.
The fires were set late Sunday night into Monday morning, within a half-mile radius of the Clarkston campus for Georgia State University’s Perimeter College.
At one point, fire threatened the Masjid Al-Momineen mosque on North Indian Creek Drive and nearby apartments, according to DeKalb officials.
There were no injuries or property damage, but officials said they were alarmed by the string of fires set during “extreme” drought conditions while wildfires burn in South Georgia.
“These fires could have threatened occupied buildings and endangered lives,” said DeKalb Public Safety Director Darnell Fullum during a news conference Tuesday. “Furthermore, the staffing and resources needed to extinguish these fires were diverted from other calls.”
County officials identified the suspect as Wasim Majeed, 37.
Citing the ongoing investigation, they declined to say why they think the fires were set or exactly how, saying only that the suspect had “some items on his person that were consistent with setting fires.”
Dionna Smith, a county spokesperson, said Majeed faces a charge of third-degree arson. But court records viewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution show only a misdemeanor charge of improper burning against Majeed — not the arson charge.
“I just want to let DeKalb County residents know that at this moment, we are extremely confident that we have the proper individual in custody, and there is no need to be fearful,” county CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said.
Georgia officials issued a ″Level 1″ drought declaration on Monday, a move that will require public water systems to encourage conservation as a historic and unusual spring drought gripped the state.
Last week, Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency executive order for 91 counties below metro Atlanta, as crews battled wildfires in South Georgia.
Widespread rain expected to hit southeast Georgia in coming days could prove beneficial to crews battling the two big wildfires there.
In Clarkston, the alleged arsons were committed from about 10 p.m. Sunday through about 4:30 a.m. Monday, according to DeKalb interim Fire Chief Melvin Carter.
He said firefighters responded at 10:49 p.m. Sunday to reports of fires in woods around Memorial College Avenue. They encountered a 20-foot-by-20-foot brush fire, which they quickly brought under control, Carter said.
While crews were on that scene, they were alerted to additional fires in surrounding areas, including near James R. Hallford Stadium and along Parklane Drive, Carter said.
“As Engine 23 began their investigation, multiple new fires also were reported in rapid succession, indicating a developing situation in a concentrated area,” he said.
Firefighters worked continuously overnight to locate, contain and extinguish the blazes, Carter said.
The response included six engine companies, each staffed with three firefighters, one battalion chief and two fire investigators.
About the Author
Reed Williams is an enterprise reporter on the Local team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
