It's only splitting hairs when it's not your scalp

A few days ago, I got on the Dispatch for putting up a headline that inaccurately sensationalized a fire here in Bexley. They stated that "arson" had done extensive damage to a synagogue. As I said at the time, I believed that someone had concluded that the fire "was set," and this turned into "arson" somewhere in between there and me seeing it on the website.

Somebody learned a lesson. The second fire in a week to strike a well known community institution happened Sunday night. The Old Bag of Nails, nominally if not technically in Bexley, burned down, aided by temperatures that apparently froze water in the hoses and hydrants. Today's story by Theodore Decker states:

Fire that destroyed popular pub not accidental, officials say

Whether blaze was set maliciously is unclear, chief says

...

Fire investigators have ruled out faulty wiring or other accidental causes in a blaze that destroyed a popular Near East Side restaurant early yesterday.

Battalion Chief Doug Smith of the Columbus Division of Fire said that someone started the fire at the Old Bag of Nails Pub, but investigators don't know why.

"That is one of the possibilities we are looking into," Smith said. "Whether it was intentionally set to do damage or intentionally set (for someone) to stay warm and blew out of control we don't know, but accidental has been ruled out."

Not accidental. Intentionally set. Someone started the fire. Whether blaze was set maliciously is unclear.

Wow. I don't know who jumped the gun with the word "arson" last week, but it certainly looks like they got their butt chewed off. The closest that the "a" word gets to this story in the CD coverage is in reporting a possible, but clearly unknown and speculative link to a confirmed case of arson nearby.

Note: I actually met Emily Kreider and her staff for the first time at the OBoN there at Broad and Nelson, so it has historical significance for BB. I hope they can rebuild there, and I'd like to take this opportunity to express my sympathy to those victims of fires this week, and my relief that no serious injuries apparently occurred.