MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release                                                                             November 2, 2016

                                                Two Arrested for Setting Fires During Burn Ban

Sheriff Jimmy Harris states as follows:

            On October 12th Governor Robert Bentley issued a drought emergency and the State of Alabama Forestry Commission put out a burn ban. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Alabama Forestry Commission on November 1st and at that time they had responded to 156 fires in DeKalb County alone. Two individuals have been arrested in connection to two of these fires.

            On October 24th the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a hay barn that was on fire on County Road 107 on Lookout Mountain. The investigation recovered that the gate leading to the barn had been rammed, 100 bales of hay, a $50,000 hay baler and 2 lawn mowers had been burned in the fire. As a result of the investigation Todd Thomas Stone, 33 of Cedar Bluff was arrested and charged with Aaron 2nd and Criminal Mischief 2nd.

            On a separate occasion on October 31st the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a fire at a residence on County Road 379 in the Aroney community. Aroney Volunteer Fire Department went to residence and asked Jerry Nabors to put out the fire, he then refused and ran them off. Later the Forestry Commission went to the residence to ask Nabors about the fire that he left unattended. At this time the DeKalb County Deputies were call to the residence. When deputies arrived at the residence Nabors was sitting on the porch with a firearm in his possession, he was advised to put the firearm away but refused. Jerry Nabors, 69 of Boaz, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct. This case was turned over to the Fire Marshal Ray Cumby and as a result of Cumby’s investigation Nabors was rearrested on November 1st with charges of Willful set of wildland fire. As a result of Nabors fire 25 to 30 acres of land was burned. With the help of the Aroney Volunteer Fire, Kilpatric Volunteer Fire, Sardis Fire, Boaz Fire, Crossville Volunteer Fire and Alder Springs Volunteer Fire Departments they were able to get the fire under control before it got any worse.

            Sheriff Harris says “We are still under the fire ban and the drought emergency in our County, so please take the advice of the Alabama Forestry Commission and don’t start any fires, even if they are small they can still easily spread. Thank you to all of the Volunteer Fire and Fire Department for everything that they do to help keep these fires under control.”