Brighton Township Man Seeks Help Finding Barn Arsonist

A Brighton Township man is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who set his century-old barn on fire during the early morning hours of July 1.

No one was injured in the blaze and the barn suffered only minor damage, but Jim Vichich, who lives with his wife in a 19th century farmhouse next to the barn, stressed the seriousness of the situation.

"This kind of crime usually isn't a one-time thing," Vichich said. "It's important that we get this person off the streets."

Vichich took the matter into his own hands after police said they had no leads in the case. 

In the days following the arson, Vichich installed a fire security system in the barn, which was originally built in the late 1800s and underwent a rebuild in 1937.

Vichich also posted a large sign offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Aside from a neighbor's report of a green car driving up and down the road with its lights off in the days before the arson, there have been no new leads in the case. But Vichich is determined to solve the case. 

As president of the , Vichich has a soft spot in his heart for vintage buildings. But the distress he's suffered because of the arson isn't based in sentimentality. According the Vichich, it's possible that the fire is related to a string of similar Livingston County fires, one in which a man died.

“There's a sick person out there who gets their kicks from fire,” Vichich said. “And I don't think they're done.”

The state police, who are handling the case, were not available for comment.

Livingston County has seen periods where barns have been targets. In the Hartland area, an April barn fire was , although an exact cause wasn't determined. Fires and neglect have reduced the numbers of historic turn of the 19th century barns in the this area to about 20-30, according to estimates.

Recalling the blaze

It has been two months since the fire. But Vichich and his wife are still shaken by the event, which began when the Vichichs woke to the sound of frantic pounding on their front door in the early hours of July 1. The woman Vichich met there said, “Do you know your barn's on fire?”

Vichich, of course, didn't. He quickly threw on his clothes, told his wife to call 911, and, armed with two fire extinguishers, ran across his property to the barn. Flames several feet high erupted from its base along the side farthest from the house. Vichich, returning to his house for a third fire extinguisher, kept the flames at bay while he waited 10 minutes for the fire department to arrive.

“Living in a rural area, you have to be prepared for the worst,” Vichich, who lives with his wife in a 19th century farmhouse in Brighton Township, said. “I have 15 fire extinguishers and 15 smoke detectors. It's cheap life insurance.”

The and the arrived on scene around 6:30 a.m. According to Vichich, they determined that the fire was set between 5 and 6 a.m. using gasoline or some other type of accelerant. Vichich is waiting for lab results from evidence removed from the scene.

“We didn't sleep for two weeks. We wanted to investigate every little noise,” Vichich said. “It's possible that whoever did this will come back to finish the job.”

It happened before

The isn't the first time Vichich's property has been the target of an arsonist. In 2006, someone set his garden shed on fire. Thanks to a vigilant neighbor, Vichich was able to save the shed. But he is haunted by the eerie coincidences of the fires: both blazes were started around 6 a.m. during the early days of July.

Vichich doesn't believe his property is targeted for any reason other than its location. Both the barn and the shed are hidden somewhat from the house and the road. In the past, area teens have left graffiti on the same side of the barn that was set on fire.

In the case of the barn blaze, Vichich said it's a very fortunate coincidence that someone happened to drive by soon after it was started.

“If that woman hadn't been driving by and hadn't taken the time to stop, the barn would be gone,” Vichich said. “And I didn't have a chance to thank her.”

If you have any information about the fire or the woman who alerted the Vichichs, contact Jim Vichich at 517-304-7722.