Arson Fires Blamed For Closing Interstate

Alabama Mobile Similar fires have burned in the area in the past.

by Steve Alexander

Published: Fri, March 20, 2009 - 7:49 pm CST Last Updated: Fri, March 20, 2009 - 8:43 pm CST

Motorists on Interstate 65 in Baldwin County sat in long traffic lines Friday afternoon or made detours along two lane roads.
It was all because of three brush fires that Alabama forestry officials believe was set by an arsonist.
I-65 was closed from exit 45 in Perdido to mile marker 57 for about four hours shortly after 1pm.
Traffic was diverted to U.S. Highway 31.
Forestry officials said this wasn't the first time a mysterious fire broke out in the area.
Gary Cole with the Alabama Forestry Commission said, "It's a triangle between three highways here and, for some reason, it burns almost every year."
And Cole thinks the fires are being deliberately set.
Cole said, "We have an arson investigator on the scene trying to determine what may have happened, (and) look for incendiary devices that someone may have thrown out to set the fires."
Doyle Dobbins watched one of the fires come close to his house, and his three dogs, as it crossed Baldwin County Highway 61.
Dobbins said, "When I got here, (I saw) big flames just rolling through the woods. You could just hear it coming and it even made my swimming pool cover glow out there. The whole place was glowing. I asked the firemen did I need to let my dogs out of the pen and he said as long as its unlocked, he'd let them out if the fire got close to make sure they got away."
Cole said, "This particular area right here has a history of burning. Across the interstate here about two years ago, we closed the interstate down for this very same purpose and it probably burned 300 or 400 acres that time."

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