Oxford assistant fire chief arrested for allegedly setting field fires driving drunk
Lang
4/23/19
The city of Oxford’s assistant fire chief faces charges that he intentionally set several field fires and drove drunk.
According to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and Tiffin and Oxford firefighters responded to eight different field fires over a two-week span beginning on March 27th with a fire on the 3000 block of Chambers Avenue. All of the fires occurred during the night and early morning hours, and the damage was limited to ditches, fields, fence posts and hay bales.
Just before 11:15pm on April 13th a Johnson County Sheriff’s deputy was on patrol in the area of the fires and discovered three vegetation fires in the area of 255th St NW and Upper Old Hwy 6 NW. The deputy also observed a pickup truck parked near one of the fires and a male stamping out the flames. The male was identified as assistant fire chief Timothy Hora. The 30-year-old Hora, who lives in Oxford, was subsequently arrested for Operating While Intoxicated and taken to the Johnson County Jail.
Just before 10:45pm on April 21st the Sheriff’s Office and the Oxford Fire Department responded to a ditch fire near 1298 300th St SW and another fire near 1098 Gegenheimer Rd SW at 11:08pm.
Through the use of GPS monitoring, the investigation showed Hora’s vehicle travelling in the area of the fires and stopped in the area of the fire locations prior to the reports of the fires.
Hora has been charged with five counts of Arson in the 3rd Degree in connection with the fires on April 13th and April 21st. He has also been charged with Public Intoxication in connection to a separate incident on April 23rd at 11:16 p.m. near the 233 mile marker on Interstate 80.
Hora is currently in the Johnson County Jail awaiting an initial appearance, his bond is $50,000 cash or surety.