Arson #66 ~ Residents Know How To Identify Them By Now

Tuesday, March 12, 2013
9:00 PM
Abandoned Structure Fire -Commercial
23388 Tasley Road
Tasley, Virginia

Whispering Pines Hotel
The main structure to the hotel was fully involved when crews arrived on the scene.  At this time I am not quite sure how many fire departments were involved.  I counted nine. (11 depts.)  The outer buildings nearby the central part of the hotel still stand.

This has been by far the largest act of arson yet - keeping our fireman and rescue personnel tied up for hours and to the point that move down assignments were put into place.

Photo/WMDT

In its day Whispering Pines was the equivalent to a 5-Star hotel of today.  This afternoon it stood as a run down, unsafe, unattractive eye sore for anyone driving along Lankford Highway.  Tonight, through photographs sent to me,  it is best to be called a war zone.

Last year the property was sold at a county tax sale for the prize sum of  near $27,000.  The VERY same day the new owner filed bankruptcy. So the building sat.

And the building has been sitting until tonight when someone decided it should burn.  And for the 66th time since November 12, 2012 our firemen, police, emergency personnel and many others risked their lives.  The structure itself was too  unstable for the fireman to enter.  While fighting this inferno they were able to keep the fire from spreading to other buildings on the grounds and precious homes occupied by those who, on any other night,  would be asleep.

Now, at 12:52 a.m. many of the firefighters are still on the scene....they will be there all night.  Once again they managed to walk away unharmed.

Many of us won't sleep either.  Any bump in the night or vehicle on the road after a certain time almost always seems to awaken most of us.  After all this time it just seems routine.  And I suppose the most frustrating element in all of this is if the time comes when arrest(s) are made there will be hardly no jail time at all.



WMDT 47 News /Photographer Josh Sims


Anyone with information about the arsons and/or individual(s) responsible is encouraged to contact law enforcement via a Tip Line dedicated to these investigations. Text, call or email at 757-655-1437.
Anyone with a tip that leads to an arrest and conviction in these cases could be eligible for a reward of up to $25,000.