Hoschton depot fire was the work of arsonist

HOSCHTON - State and local fire investigators are working to find out more about a fire that heavily damaged a historic building in downtown Hoschton Friday morning.

Jackson County EMS Director Steve Nichols said the fire at the historic train depot does appear to be a case of arson.

"The building was unoccupied at the time, there had been no one in it that time of the morning, [the] fire appeared to have started on the outside of the building...so, yeah, it is listed as a suspicious fire," said Nichols.

The depot has been used as a social venue in Hoschton as a site for weddings, receptions and other events, according to Nichols.

"It's kind of like a community center for the city of Hoschton," said Nichols. "It stays pretty active."

Nichols said fire crews from three stations (West Jackson, North Jackson and Jackson Trail) as well as the Jackson County Correctional Institution arrived at the scene at 4:22 a.m. and had the fire under control in about 15 minutes.

The State Fire Marshal's Office has announced a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case.