NEWS BLOG (WSAU) Seven years later, the Kevin Zarm arsons are still fresh in our minds. His fire-spree went on for a long time. And he was a murderer. And he was careful, difficult to catch.

And after seeing five fires set in Wausau over an 18-hour period last Sunday, we wonder if we’re in for a replay. Will someone die from a fire that spreads to their house? Will someone die if they walk in on this arsonist doing his work? Where will he strike next? How will it end?

I’m hopeful for a quick end to this case. This arsonist was not careful. Five fires in one night is someone with a reckless passion, not a meticulous calculating criminal. These crimes don’t appear to be planned out. They seem to be more a random lunacy, perhaps the kind of thing one does out of drunken vengeance. This is the kind of person who makes a mistake and gets caught, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Chris Conley
Operations Manager, Midwest Communications-Wausau
11.24.09