West Virginia Man Accused of Setting 62 Fires
A Nicholas County, W.Va., man faces charges of setting 62 fires in the Summersville and Richwood areas.
Twenty-one-year-old Austin Lee Cox of Craigsville is being held at the Central Regional Jail on $2.7 million bond. He’s charged with 54 felonies, which each carry a $50,000 bond. The charges include first-degree arson and conspiracy.
Sheriff Wetzel Bennett tells the Charleston Gazette that other suspects are being sought.
The fires occurred from January to July. Bennett says one fire destroyed a home in Mount Nebo. Another fire gutted a sports bar in Summersville.
There were no injuries in any of the fires.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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