'American Fires' Tells A True Story Of Love And Arson In Rural Virginia
In 2012 and 2013, Accomack County, Va., was plagued by arson. The culprits, it turned out, were a local man and his girlfriend. In a new book, journalist Monica Hesse tells their story.
On Nov. 12, 2012, an abandoned house on the Eastern Shore of Virginia burned to the ground. For the next five months, night after night, volunteer fire fighters responded to conflagrations all over the county. Locals started spreading the word: There was an arsonist in Accomack County.
That arsonist turned out to be Charlie Smith, a local and former volunteer firefighter. By the time he was caught, some 86 fires had been set, mostly in abandoned buildings. Smiths' accomplice in the arsons was his girlfriend, Tonya Bundick.
Monica Hesse went to Accomack County to report on the, but while she was there she found a much bigger story. Now Hesse has put that story in a new book called .
