MACOUPIN COUNTY, Ill. — Authorities need help identifying who may be responsible for multiple barn arsons in Macoupin County.
The most recent fire happened Friday evening northeast of Carlinsville. The Macoupin County Sheriff's Office posted a photo on Facebook, which showed flames and heavy smoke.
Police are investigating a fire last week north of Mount Olive. The Macoupin County Sheriff's Office is looking for a suspect vehicle described as a white Ford pickup truck with a chrome grill, damaged license plate and a board in place of a tailgate. Two people were inside the vehicle.
Several other barn fires have been reported over the past month in the Carlinville, Gillespie and Northwestern Fire Protection District areas.
"All arson fires are crimes against people, even if the intended target is a vacant building, trash or woods," according to a press release from the State of Illinois. "These fires must be controlled and extinguished by firefighters; and therefore, human life is endangered whenever a fire is set. Arson is a felony."
The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal Arson Division is working with Macoupin County.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Arson Hotline at 800-252-2947 or Macoupin/Montgomery CrimeStoppers at 800-352-1036.
