Man Detained After Starting Multiple Fires

Several local fire departments battled grass fires well into the evening on Wednesday after an 18-year-old Edom man walked down Interstate 20 setting the fires.

"We started received numerous 9-1-1 calls about 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon regarding a man, who was wearing no shirt, walking down the Interstate starting fires," said Van Zandt County Fire Marshal Chuck Allen.

Allen said that personnel from the Van Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, as well as, firefighters from the Lindale Fire Department detained the suspect at the last fire he set east of Willow Branch Road north of the service road.

"This young man is mentally challenged. It was discovered that he had actually been reported missing and one of our deputies was in Edom taking the missing persons report at the same time we had him detained," said Allen.

Allen said the suspect confessed to setting 15 fires all the way from the Edom area down I-20 to just inside the Smith County line.

"We don’t have an estimate on damage yet and there could be more fires that he set that just burned their selves out before anyone got there," said Allen.

He said that arson charges are pending at this time. He also said that he was assisted by the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office and that possible charges may be pending in Smith County as well.

The suspect was taken to the East Texas Behavioral Health Center in Tyler.