MURPHY, Okla. — Mayes County investigators believe an arsonist set nearly ten fires near Murphy and Locust Grove.
437 Road is burnt to a crisp in spots from south to north, stopping west of Pryor.
2 News drove and saw the burnt spots after Mayes County Major Rod Howell said he was investigating them as fires. He believes arson is a strong possibility.
"I'm not saying the eight to ten we have in question right now are all connected. I'm just saying that it would be awful coincidental that they'd be starting at the same or similar time," Howell said.
Major Howell said the first fire started around 2 a.m. on Feb. 28 and progressed one by one until roughly 7 a.m. Hay bales and patches of grass took the brunt of the damage.
The Mayes County Sheriff's Office needs help. Investigators are trying to get surveillance videos and trail footage from people in the area. There are some houses, but only a few.
"You've got livestock in danger. You've got structures next to hay bales that were put on fire – especially with the winds we had lately," Major Howell said. "It was the perfect storm for one of these to get out of control."
Howell says it could have been several miles of property destroyed due to someone acting carelessly.
"I've been doing this for approximately 25 years - and I'm telling you, people light fires just to see what they do. Others do it because they're true pyromaniacs, and they have an obsession with fire," Major Howell said.
Deputies say no one was hurt during the fires.
The Mayes County Sheriff's Office asks if anyone has surveillance footage in the area or may have seen something to call them, and it can be anonymous.
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