A member of West Virginia’s Air National Guard was fatally injured while responding to an arson call early Sunday morning, authorities said.
The airman, who was assigned to the 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg, was responding to a mutual aid response call to a structure fire on Charles Town Road when he was fatally injured.
Investigators believe that this fire – and another one about three miles away – were set intentionally within 20 minutes of each other. Both fires were set between 1 and 2 a.m. and neither structure was occupied.
The servicemember’s name is being withheld for 24 hours pending notification of next of kin, the guard said in a press release.
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The West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office and state police are investigating the fire, the website WV News reported. No further details were released.
Anyone with information on the matter is being asked to contact the state’s arson hotline at 1-800-233-3473. Authorities are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
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The fire marshal’s office could not be reached for further comment.