OH man threatens to burn down lovah's van after she keeps falling asleep during sex, police say

I feel compelled to inform you that his last name is Smallwood.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, You're A Mean Drunk R2D2!

5-year-old arsonist's scheme backfires, police say

Story is from Brooklyn, where a 5-year-old boy who regularly threatened to burn down Grandma's house finally made good on his threat, police say. Only he got caught in the fire and suffered critical burns over most of his body.

Apparently, the boy wanted to punish Grandma for not letting him go to the park. (He was in trouble for faking 911 calls and saying Grandma was dead.)

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Keith G in PV!

Guess who's going to prison?

Paul Addis, who torched the Burning Man effigy days before it was SUPPOSED to be burned, has gotten up to four years in prison, and he was ordered to pay $30K restitution for the Burning Man incident. (I find it a little amusing he's getting smacked so hard for burning something that was literally built so it could be torched.)

I suppose it's good that he likes to wear makeup.

Passenger sets plane's curtains on fire after they stop giving him booze, police say

I'm not saying it's cool to set fires when you don't get your way, but sometimes the only way to deal with an unreasonable situation is to behave unreasonably. More here.

Texas offers $50K for tips in governor's mansion arson

I laughed when they described him as "angry."

"It is likely that feelings of anger may have motivated his crime," Maldonado said at a news conference Monday. "He may be known to get angry and express strong opinions about the government, Governor Perry himself, the death penalty, the renovation of the mansion or other political issues."

So, if you know any angry people, be sure to report them to Texas authorities. Ever since that FLDS deal wrapped up, they've got all kinds of free time.

(AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Colorado man used vodka, smokes to start house fire, police say

As you might have guessed, he allegedly did it to spite his ex-wife ...

Arson suspect in fire that damaged TX governor's mansion

Authorities don't have a "who" yet, though. Nobody was home when the fire happened -- the mansion had been undergoing renovations.

KC firefighter's death was natural -- criminal charges are still possible

Terrance D. Crockett collapsed while fighting a house fire back in March. An autopsy says he died from natural medical causes, but police are still investigating his case and could seek criminal charges because the fire was an arson, Christine Vendel reports.

KCK man accused of trying to burn down girlfriend's house

From Christine Vendel:

Jackson County prosecutors today accused a 53-year-old man of breaking into his girlfriend’s house early Sunday and setting it on fire as she and her children slept.

No one was hurt.

Willie F. Ford, of Kansas City, Kan., faces charges of first-degree arson and first-degree burglary for allegedly breaking the windows of the house in the 2700 block of Chelsea Avenue and setting fires in four places.

NJ woman burns down ex-boyfriend's house after he takes another girl to prom, police say

I assume this is merely Step One in her cunning plan to win him back.

Banjos at the ready ...

A Tennessee woman says her grown son, age 34, set her trailer home on fire after she scolded him for skipping two days of work. Snip:

Sue Barlow said her son reached in through a bedroom window and used a cigarette lighter to ignite the curtains.

She said her son then ran into the woods before police arrived.

I swear to you: I am not trying to pick on Tennessee today ...

Airline attendant accused of "filing a complaint"

And by "filing a complaint," we mean "setting a plane's bathroom on fire because he was unhappy about working a particular route."

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Keith G in PV and Patty PV!

KCFD fought 190 arsons over the last 12 months

So the fire department is rolling out a new campaign to catch people who set fires, complete with a $5,000 reward. I wish them the best of luck -- they're going to need it. Arsons are notoriously difficult to solve.

Teens accused of firebombing car over MySpace comment

Story is from Georgia. Listen, America, I've been to MySpace. There is nothing there worth a firebombing ...

KS volunteer firefighter accused of setting fires

Story is from Saline County. The fire were all in pastures, and nobody was hurt.

Boy, 10, accused of Shawnee arson

From Benita Williams:

A 10-year-old boy was arrested last night in Shawnee and accused of setting a neighbor’s van on fire.

Firefighters said burn marks at the scene indicated that someone also attempted to burn the victim’s home.

Shawnee firefighters were called about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday to a house in the 6400 block of Woodstock Street, said Shawnee Fire Marshal John Mattox. A caller told fire officials that someone was seen running from the house carrying a gas can.

... Police spoke with witnesses who said they saw the 10-year-old pouring gasoline around the victim’s van and house. Officers took the suspect to juvenile detention on suspicion of arson. Investigators said the boy told them he had lived in that neighborhood for about a week.

UPDATE: MO teen burns down church, school

Story is from Palmyra, reported by the Hannibal Courier-Post. We linked to the original post back in February, after the kid burned down the church and bragged about it online. He's going to be placed in the state's youth rehabilitation program, which the church supports.

KCFD: Firefighter died while helping put out set fire

The house fire where firefighter Terrance Crockett died yesterday appears to be intentionally set, Fire Chief Smokey Dyer says. Crockett was handling one of the hoses after the fire was out when he collapsed. Tony Rizzo has more information here.

Fire that almost killed girl was arson, KC police say

A 2-year-old girl nearly died in a Kansas City house fire early Saturday in the 6200 block of South Benton. (Firefighters, luckily, were able to resuscitate her.) Mom was arrested originally because the kiddo had been left home alone when the fire started.

Now? Police say the fire was set after Mom got into an argument with a man over money, Christine Vendel reports. A witness said a man was spotted on the porch just before the fire began.

Okie burns down city building because she was sick of looking at it, police say

I guess that's as valid a reason as any ...

JoCo teen sets 3 cop cars on fire, gets probation

But he will pay $50K to replace them. Saw this via Tony.

The trouble with arsons

The St. Joe News-Press has a story about authorities there having trouble tracking down the guilty parties after a series of arsons. Here's a disquieting factoid: Nationally, about 18 percent of arson cases are ever closed, according to a 2006 FBI report.

MO teen accused of setting church, school fire -- then bragging online

Story is from Palmyra, which is located in northeast Missouri. Authorities have accused a 16-year-old who attended classes at the church's school. He allegedly bragged about the arson on gamefaqs.com, of all places, a popular site for video-game FAQs and tips. Apparently, someone saw the posting, then emailed a local TV station, who contacted the authorities.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, FanDanGo!

Mary had a little lamb ... and a house, but somebody burned it down

Fun Fact: "Mary Had A Little Lamb" was based on a real girl who really did bring her lamb to school. Mary was sort of a local celebrity in Worcester, Mass., where she was born. But now somebody has burned down the house where she was born. Two men have been charged in the case. No word on the lamb.

Sentences in St. Joe "Hoof & Horn" arson

The Hoof & Horn Steak House has been something of a St. Joe landmark for years, but it was badly damaged by a fire last fall -- a fire that was set by the owner's son and future son-in-law. Dad testified during their sentencing hearing, saying the restaurant had been losing money. The two young men apparently took it on themselves to "resolve the financial situation."

Police: UT man ignites himself while trying to burn down brother's house

The suspect -- who apparently got upset after a family argument -- is in a coma while doctors try to treat his injuries, which are severe. The house burned down, but police were able to find evidence that the fire was arson.

Jazz fan accused of setting TX radio station on fire

The suspect is accused of setting fire to a community-run station in Austin. He's a volunteer there, and he was allegedly upset when somebody messed with his playlist. The name of his set? "Mellow Down Easy."

Aspiring firefighter confesses to St. Louis arsons

Andrew Franklin, 22, has confessed to setting seven vacant houses on fire after he got booted from the fire department's Explorer program, which teaches young people about firefighting. Police say he may have set even more fires.

Self-proclaimed Satanists burned, vandalized AL churches, police say

Two guys purporting to be Satanists are accused of vandalizing and burning a series of churches in rural Alabama. (The po-po said they were tipped off after the grandmother of one man ratted him out.) I'm suspicious precisely how Satanic they were. Painting "Teach Children To Worship Satan!!" in bright-red, foot-tall letters doesn't really fit with the few other Satanists I've met.

(AP Photo/Jay Reeves)

The tale (and video) of the indestructable arsonist

This guy was still on the roof of the house he allegedly set fire to when emergency crews arrived.

He lobbed roof tiles at police and firefighters. Got sprayed with fire hoses. Got shot with rubber bullets. Got Tasered. Fell from the two-story roof. Got up and ran. Got chased by dogs.

The man was finally captured and taken to a hospital -- where he was reported to be "heavily medicated."

And it was all caught on tape.

-- Sara Shepherd

Fight over rum leads to MO man's death

In Springfield, a woman got upset with her sister for drinking the woman's rum. To scare the sister, the woman decided to set a mattress on her porch on fire. It ended up killing the woman's roommate. The fire happened last December. She's just entered an Alford plea to arson.

Arson victim's mom to offer scholarship

KU student Nicole Bingham was one of three people killed in Lawrence's Boardwalk Apartments fire back in 2005. Her mother is going to offer a scholarship in Bingham's name for history majors, starting next fall, KSHB reports.

Report: KCK firefighters catch man accused of setting fire

From John Shultz's report:

Firefighters responding to a fire call at a Kansas City, Kan., apartment building cornered a man suspected of starting the fire and held him until police arrived.

The incident happened about 10:30 p.m. Monday at 14th Street and Central Avenue.

Fire companies arrived on the scene within a minute of receiving the 911 call. According to the Fire Department, they saw a man on a second floor balcony trying to start a fire.

Firefighters hoofed it to the second floor apartment, and saw the man trying to light property in the apartment on fire. They held him there until police arrived.

Idaho woman accused of burning ex's mounted bison head

Police say she got into an argument with her former husband at his house, then lit the trophy on fire. Somebody put it out before the entire house caught, The AP reports.

I know a lot of married ladies, if they had a bison head hanging from their walls, who would be tempted toward arson. And they wouldn't need the pretext of an argument to light things up.

As cute as a firebug

About 50 percent of arson suspects last year were 18 or younger, the U.S. Department of Justice reports. And most of those were under 15 years old. Which poses a dilemma for prosecutors, who have to decide whether to bring criminal charges.

MO arson suspect says he was trying to burn his pants off

In Cape Girardeau, a 19-year-old man has been accused of arson and burglary after a local fraternity's auxiliary building caught fire. The young man's defense? He was trying to burn off the cuffs of his jeans because he kept tripping over them. Police are skeptical.

Does this guy look like an arsonist? Really?

This gentleman is Paul Addis, a performance artist from San Francisco who's accused of trying to light a SF cathedral on fire. The booking photo is from earlier this year, when he was charged with prematurely setting the Burning Man on fire at the Burning Man festival.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, You're A Mean Drunk R2D2!

KC man threatened to set himself on fire, prosecutors say

Missed this from the other day, but Russell J. Bass, 35, of Kansas City, faces one count of first-degree attempted arson after he allegedly set a porch on fire, doused himself in gasoline and threatened to set himself on fire.

(He'd had an argument with the mother of his kids, who was 7 months pregnant at the time.) Here's a PDF of the probable cause.

Hat Tip: Thanks for sending this over, Van!

(Fixed the link -- Sorry about that, Jonathan!)

Schwarzenegger vows to hunt down So-Cal arsonists

Not sure how seriously how to take this one. If it's "Last Action Hero" Schwarzenegger, you're probably OK, arsonists. If it's "Terminator" Arnold or "True Lies" Arnold, I advise you to find (A) a one-way ticket out of the country and (B) a fresh change of pants. Snip:

"If I were one of the people who started the fires, I would not sleep soundly right now, because we're right behind you."

He could be here right now.

Photo via The AP. Look how angry he is! And that's for a guy who's ON HIS SIDE and NOT AN ARSONIST.

Mom of Boardwalk Apartments arson victim files suit

The mother of Nicole Bingham, a KU student killed when her Lawrence apartment building was set on fire, has filed a lawsuit against the apartment, its management, several construction companies and others.

The suit claims the building didn't have adequate alarms or escape routes, the Journal-World reports.

Was KC church a target of arson?

The early-morning fire at Pilgrims Rest Missionary Baptist Church, located at 34th and Hardesty, might have been deliberately set, KMBC reports.

Boy, 10, accused of setting fire that killed Mom, sister, 3 others

In Ohio, a 10-year-old boy is accused of deliberately setting a fire that killed his mom, his sister and three kids from a family that shared his home. Police report the boy said he started the fire, but didn't mean to hurt anybody. His attorney is seeking to have that thrown out because he says the boy was pressured.

(Specifically, the charges against him are five delinquency counts of murder and one delinquency count of aggravated arson.) A judge has ordered the boy released from a juvie facility to his grandmother's house. "He's also a victim," the judge said.

St. Joe steak palace gets well done -- might be a case of arson

In St. Joseph, one of the city's best-known restaurants -- the Hoof and Horn -- suffered heavy damage in a fire Thursday that authorities are calling arson. Two men have been arrested in connection with the case, the News Press reports.

Police: Vigilantes kill child-porn suspect's wife

In Tennessee, two men allegedly decided to scare off a child-porn suspect by burning down his house, police say. The suspect escaped, but his wife -- who wasn't accused of anything -- died from injuries she received in the blaze.

Hat Tip: Thanks to The_Golfer!

OR woman burned neighbor's home over missing keys -- later found them in her own pocket

I LOVE this story: An Oregon is accused of setting her neighbors' trailer home on fire because she thought they stole her house keys -- keys which were later found hanging from her pocket. (Fire was allegedly started with cooking oil and a stuffed animal.) Snip, via The AP:

She called 9-1-1 and hid in a bush across the street while deputies and firefighters responded, Riley said.

The woman's boyfriend said a friend called him at work and he rushed home to find her hiding in the bushes, barefoot and incoherent, according to the report.

The woman told her boyfriend her keys were missing, at which time he pointed to a set of keys hanging from her pants pocket and "she began to cry," Riley said.

Mega-Hat-Tip to John Boy! Many thanks, sir!

MO mayor, convicted of arson, plans to appeal

Deb Masten -- the former Kirksville mayor accused of burning down the bar she owned -- is going to report to prison, though.

Olathe car fire appears to be intentional

That's the word from Olathe Fire, which is investigating a blaze from the other day where three vehicles, including a police department truck, were damaged.

KS boy acquitted of school arson

In Nemaha County, a 14-year-old has been acquitted of setting a fire that destroyed most of a local grade school and junior high.

Pet ferrets thrown in oven during apparent arson

I missed this from Saturday, but Tony Rizzo passes along the following story:

Two pet ferrets were found dead in an oven Friday morning after firefighters extinguished an apparent arson.

A neighbor in the 8700 block of Daniel Boone Road called 911 about 5:20 a.m. after seeing smoke coming from a window. Inside the house, someone had slashed furniture and pillows and set a pile of clothes on fire in the basement, according to police reports. The resident had filed for an order of protection against a former boyfriend last month, according to court records. No suspect was in custody Friday.

Former MO mayor gets 5 years for burning own bar

Deb Masten, the former mayor of Kirksville, was sentenced to five years for burning down Too Talls Two, the bar she owned in the college town. To twist the knife, the judge also told Masten that she had had a good chance of getting acquitted -- until she testified.

The Internet brings people together: Angry nerd burns down trailer home

Two guys get into a fight over the Internet. One makes the tragic mistake of calling the other a nerd. (Specifically, he posted a photo of the other guy, shirtless and carrying a gun, with the headline "Revenge of the Nerds.")

How did the nerd handle it? He took a leave of absence from the Navy, where he had high clearance for missile and fire control, then drove from Virginia to Texas, where he set the other guy's mobile home on fire. So, yeah, he's taking a timeout, courtesy of the prison system.

Hat Tip: Saw this via Greg Beck at Death's Door

Photo: The nerd in question, Russell Tavares, via The AP

Lawrence apartment fire sets record

A state fund to compensate crime victims has paid about $80,000 to victims of the Boardwalk Apartments fire, which was a case of arson. Three people died in the blaze, and several others were injured or made homeless. This is the most that's ever been paid out for one case. The money doesn't come from taxpayers -- instead, it's from fines paid by offenders.

Sentence in Lawrence apartment arson: 122 months

Jason Rose -- the man who set an apartment fire in Lawrence that killed three people -- has been sentenced to 10 years and two months in prison. This is the maximum sentence he could have received.

Police: Arsonist put Bible to unholy use

Tennessee police accuse a man of setting a series of small fires in a Best Western motel room, using pages from the Bible as kindling.

Hat Tip: Thanks, John Boy!

AZ firefighter confesses to setting fires

A well-known Forest Service firefighter will spend two years in federal prison for starting two forest fires near Flagstaff. He says he was trying to clear away dead trees, and he argues it was common practice to do that without getting official approval first. The Forest Service denies that.

Police: Alleged pot dealer's mom tried to light up (their house)

Wichita police say a 39-year-old woman tried to set her house on fire -- with her five kids inside -- because her 20-year-old son was allegedly dealing pot from the house but not paying any rent to his grandmother. Mom reportedly spread lighter fluid through the house, but her 14-year-old daughter kept blowing out the matches.

MO mayor convicted of burning down her own bar

The former mayor of Kirksville, Mo., has been convicted of burning down her pub, Too Talls Two, back on New Year's Day 2005.

Jason Rose: Guilty

A Lawrence jury found Jason Rose guilty of setting the Boardwalk Apartments fire, where three people died. But Rose was convicted on involuntary manslaughter and aggravated battery charges, not felony murder.

The Journal-World's got an archive of their fire and trial coverage.

Boardwalk Apartments jury goes into recess

They'll reconvene tomorrow. They spent the whole day deliberating with a break for lunch. At least twice, they looked at defendant Jason Rose's taped confession to police, Benita Williams reports.

Boardwalk Apartments trial goes to jury

We could get a verdict on defendant Jason Rose's guilt or innocence sometime today. Three people died in the 2005 fire. My colleague Benita Williams has a story here.

Update on Boardwalk Apartments arson

Jason Rose, the man accused of setting the 2005 apartment fire that killed three people, testified Monday that his videotaped confession was a story he made up so police would leave him alone.

Also Monday, a witness testified that Rose had vowed to set fire to his own place, once he moved out on his own. "He said it would be the biggest, most beautiful fire he had seen." This allegedly happened during a church youth group meeting a few months before the fire, and Rose's attorney is challenging the witness, who only came to light after she posted to the Journal-World's message boards. This was during Rose's first trial, which ended in mistrial.

Why didn't she come forward earlier? From the story: Robinson said it was partly because she didn't want the attention and partly because she thought other people would have taken the same concerns to police.

Stepmom charged with arson for allegedly leaving boy at fire

Jackson County prosecutors have filed charges against Shalonda S. Walker-Cain, the woman accused of leaving her 5-year-old stepson while there was a fire in the bathroom. Link to a PDF of the probable cause.

Prosecutors say Walker-Cain was mad at her husband, so she put his clothes in their bathtub, where they caught fire, then left their Kansas City apartment. (She told police she only tried to burn a jersey, but put it  with the other clothes when it was smoldering.)

Why'd she leave her stepkiddo, but take her own baby? She told police the boy wasn't hers, so she had no legal right, court records state.

Update on Boardwalk Apartments arson

The Capital-Journal catches the testimony of the first witnesses in the Boardwalk Apartments arson trial in Lawrence. Witnesses, some of whom suffered second- and third-degree burns, describe the night of the fire.

Best. Lede. Ever.

From The Charleston Gazette: Naked, burned and wielding a knife when he exited his burning Jeep on Sunday afternoon, Clendenin resident Roy Sayer is expected to be charged in a fire that destroyed three houses in the Elk River town.

Meanwhile, in Lawrence ...

Jury selection's under way in the second trial for Jason Rose, the man accused of setting the fatal Boardwalk Apartments fire. The last one was a mistrial because the prosecution tried to introduce a new witness who only came forward on Feb. 9.

What's new is that the Journal-World's message board might have played a part in the case. From their story:

Prosecutors said at the time the person came forward Feb. 9. The Journal-World also received a subpoena that evening requesting records and Internet protocol addresses for someone who had posted a comment earlier that day alleging Rose had said he would set his apartment on fire.

On Feb. 9, the comment, posted by a user under the name “truth_society,” stated that Rose told the poster and several others during his stay in a group home “that as soon as he moved out into his own apartment space, he was going to set it on fire.”

Star file photos of the apartment fire's aftermath, Rose.

Sentences in church arsons

Three former college students who burned nine churches in Alabama say they are very, very, very sorry.  They're still going to do seven to eight years in federal prison.

They say the first fires started as a night of "drunken pranks." Then, when they went back and set four more fires? That was strictly to throw the feds off their trail.

Burglar stole coins, then burned house, prosecutors say

From The Star: Prosecutors say Nathaniel D. Nelson stole two big jugs of coins from a Kansas City house last month, then set the home on fire. It happened March 26 in the 1800 block of East 83rd Terrace. Nelson faces arson, burglary and theft charges.

Update on Pittsburg arson

From The Wichita Eagle: Andrew Hummer Morris, the man accused of setting a fatal fire, isn't competent to stand trial, a judge has decided. Morris faces one count of aggravated arson and two counts of first-degree murder; one of the victims was Stephen Hayes, 21, of Peculiar.

The story says Morris doesn't understand the legal process and needs to be sent back to the state hospital at Larned -- where he can eventually be made competent enough to go on trial.

Man wanted to burn down sex offenders' house

A New York man has admitted that he planned to burn down a house where four sex offenders lived. (Their house is about a mile from his.) When officers arrested him last year, they found a road flare and a squeeze bottle full of "accelerant" -- gasoline? kerosene? AP doesn't say -- in the man's car. The man also told an undercover officer about his plan, including how he'd set practice fires in his back yard. He said he wanted to protect his wife and 2-year-old from the men.

Mom tries to ignite sleeping family

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - Hyang Sun Lee, 39, doused her sleeping husband and three children with lighter fluid and ignited a piece of paper, but her husband woke up, took the paper and put out the fire, police said. She is charged with attempted murder.