Sawyer County Arsonist Remains at Large as Victims Remain Fearful

The string of fires last November saw homes and businesses destroyed

SAWYER COUNTY, Wisc. – As some victims attempt to rebuild, they grapple with the fear of an arsonist still at large.

Nearly 100 days since the last fire, the small communities and towns in the southeastern Sawyer County have been left scarred. The six structure fires occurred over a nine-day period in late November and impacted homes, businesses, and even a veterans’ center.

Sawyer County Sheriffs, assisted by the Wisconsin DOJ, suspected the fires were the work of an arsonist since the onset of their investigation.

While no injuries resulted from the fires, that fact does little to ease the fears of victims, who remain concerned for their safety with a serial arsonist on the loose.

The second fire occurred at the home of Jean and Richard Clark, who were not home at the time. The couple was in Minneapolis, where Richard was hoping to participate in a clinical trial to treat a terminal illness.

“We got woken up on the morning I was supposed to go to my appointment at 5:00 in the morning by the neighbor down the road on her way to work, seeing our house in flames,” Richard said. The Clarks have lived in the home for nearly two decades, but Richard’s family has owned the property for generations. Their home and belongings were a total loss. Concerned that rebuilding may make them targets of another fire, the Clarks are forced to consider all of their options.

American Legion Post 379, about 15 minutes from the Clarks’ home, was the site of the third fire. First Vice Brian Rose and his crews have continued to put in 10-plus hour days to rebuild the fire damaged structure.

“It’s the heart and soul of this whole community. There’s a lot of people that care about this place. We’re trying the hardest we can to rebuild it as fast as we can,” Rose said.

While also concerned with the arsonist-at-large, Rose said the Legion means too much to the community, to “let it go down without a fight.”

On Friday, FOX 21 sat down for an exclusive interview with Sawyer County Sheriff Douglas Mrotek. The sheriff provided an overview of law enforcement’s actions so far in the investigation and an update on their progress.

Sheriff Mrotek said “evidence” is being analyzed by the Wisconsin DOJ, and affirmed that the DOJ remains on the case. The community has continued to provide crucial information in the case, according to the sheriff.

The sheriff’s full overview of events: