Arson likely in fires

A house fire in a vacant house Tuesday morning appears to be the result of arson, as does the first fire last week in the same house.

“I was just checking on the house and smelled smoke,” homeowner Brentley Wilkerson said Tuesday morning. “I found the fire smoldering in the front room and called 911.”

Wilkerson said he was told to leave everything alone and left the residence to wait for firefighters and law enforcement personnel.

On Tuesday, Pea Ridge firefighters were dispatched to the scene for the second fire and found evidence of new fires in the residence. The scene was turned over to Benton County Sheriff’s deputies.

Shortly after dawn on Thursday, Jan. 31, firefighters from Pea Ridge, Northeast Benton County and Avoca volunteer fire departments spent more than an hour extinguishing the fire that smoldered throughthe house and attic. Smoke was coming from beneath the eaves of the house when firefighters arrived.

Wilkerson said he recently purchased the house and wasin the process of remodeling it. He said wires had been stolen from the house, as had the air conditioner unit. There was no electricity in the house at the time of the fire.

Mark Trolinger, Benton County Fire marshal, investigated and said he turned all evidence and information over to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division.