Suspect accused of setting 15 fires across DeKalb County charged with arson, officials say

A man accused of setting a series of fires in a DeKalb County neighborhood on Sunday night through Monday morning is now facing charges.

Around 10:49 p.m. on Sunday, DeKalb County Fire Rescue says they received a 911 call about a grass fire near Memorial College Avenue. The number of calls quickly escalated, and crews spent the rest of the night battling 14 other fires within roughly a half-mile radius of the Clarkston campus of Georgia State University Perimeter College.

At a press conference on Tuesday, DeKalb County interim Fire Chief Melvin Carter said his team realized that the fires were intentionally set after noticing the rapid number of reports and the distance between the incidents. While fire can leap, the areas where the grass fires were igniting made this more than a brush fire that was getting out of control, he said.

According to Carter, the agency's investigators looked at the pattern of where the fires were appearing to try to predict where the next one could be started. Using that data and video evidence, he said they located and identified the suspect.

When the man was taken into custody, authorities say that he had "items on his person that were consistent with setting fires." 

The suspect, now identified as 37-year-old Wasim Majeed, has since been charged with third-degree arson.

The situation remains under investigation. Carter said that they have not determined a motive at this time, but it did not appear to be any "particular rhyme or reason to exactly what was set on fire."

The interim fire chief praised the quick response of the department's dispatch center and crews, who were able to keep the flames from the many fires from damaging any nearby buildings.

Officials encouraged residents to adhere to the county's burn ban, which applies to all outdoor fires and begins on May 1. With the extreme drought across the state, the conditions make it easy for fires to spread.

"These fires can get out of control and move really fast," Carter said.

The investigation into the situation continues.