UPDATE: Georgia Arson Control Renews Seeking Help Identifying Ray City Arson Suspect Reward Offered

By Carol A. Gasser Moore

RAY CITY, Georgia – Last week, the Lanier County News (LCN) published the fact that the Georgia Arson Control (GAC) is asking for the public’s help.  They believe that there is someone, not yet identified, that is responsible for arson in Ray City.  The GAC believes that a home located on Ray City’s Main Street at the corner of Pauline Street is the site of an arson-related fire.  The GAC requests assistance in discovering the suspect responsible for the fire.

A “Reward up to $10,000” has been posted at the burned out home.  The GAC states that it wants information leading to the arrest and conviction of person(s) responsible for arson and/or fraud.

An open records request to the Ray City government was made and a report was provided to the LCN.  The report indicates that the Ray City Fire Department (RCFD) responded on Friday, October 21 at about 11:32 a.m. (believed but not listed as a.m.) that the RCFD arrived about 11:38 and was able to get the fire under control.  The record indicates that the RCFD was dismissed at 12:09 p.m.

The fire occurred at a home structure in a single room with contents at 8192 Main St., Ray City.  The Berrien County Tax Assessor’s Office lists the address as simply Main Street, although the listed owner is a Clara Miller, 8204 Main Street.  The RCFD record owner is identified as Heather Rivers, who may have been a tenant.  Later in the report, RCFD’s record shows the address as 804 Main Street.  For basic purposes of reader’s understanding, it is an older home located at Main Street and Pauline Avenue on the southeast corner of the intersection.

It is the understanding of the LCN that the reason arson is believed to be the cause of the fire, is that one of the home’s doors was broken into.

The RCFD report indicates that the fire originated on a dining room table.  One of the homes neighbors made the e-911 call indentifying that they could see smoke coming from the home.  No one was at home at the time of the fire.  The fire was said to be contained in the dining room to a small kitchen table with a pile of clothes on it.

The Georgia Arson Control (GAC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting arson in Georgia and celebrating the efforts of Georgia’s first responders.

Anyone with information is asked to call the GAC Hotline at 1-800-282-5804.