- Two people who wished to remain anonymous were recently awarded a total of $5,500 for their information.
- Only 5 percent of fires in the city are due to arson or an unknown origin.
- Watch the video to see how agencies are working together.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Valdosta Fire Department and Georgia Arson control have joined forces.
"The message is that we're not going to tolerate arsonists in Valdosta."
I'm Malia Thomas, in Valdosta, and I'm taking a look at just serious both agencies are taking arson cases.
The VFD and GAC held a news conference to award two anonymous neighbors for their tips leading to an arrest and conviction in an arson case.
While they couldn't share specific details, the tipsters received a total of $5,500.
Chief Brian Boutwell said that while arson is a crime that costs the community, it's not the cause of a majority of fires. Valdosta has seen approximately 60 structural fires this year.
About 70 percent of the city's fires are accidental. About 5 percent have been ruled suspicious or unknown origin.
The city is still averaging 120-150 building fires a year.
