LUCAS - Firefighters who battled a blaze in a Lucas Perrysville Road home Monday night say the homeowner admitted he intentionally set fire to his house.

Monroe Township Fire Department was dispatched to the fire in a single-story home at 3757 Lucas Perrysville Road around 9:30 p.m. after someone called to report seeing flames from a distance.

"As we pulled up, we had flames probably 40-feet high," fire chief Chris Niswander said. "The property owner was here, standing out front and said 'I'm tearing this house down.' It was part of his plan, apparently."

Niswander said setting a fire to demolish a structure typically is not legal though there is a permit process through the state EPA that can allow people to do so under certain circumstances. To Niswander's knowledge, the homeowner did not have such a permit.

"It looks like he had taken a couple walls off already and let the roof and a couple other walls fall in," Niswander said.

The set fire spread through what remained of the structure, engulfing the home to the point firefighters could not safely enter. Niswander said firefighters likely would continue fighting the fire until it was safely contained, but he predicted it would continue to smolder for a few days.

"We'll probably be back he said," referencing the likelihood of the fire rekindling.

Niswander said while some people may not understand why fire departments would not allow a structure to burn if the owner wants the building to be destroyed, the department must make every effort to stop fires like Monday's.

"Fire departments have three tasks - protect lives, property and the environment - so with no EPA permit or permission or any advanced knowledge on our part that something like that is going to occur, we have to do our best to protect the environment," he said.

Washington Township and Perrysville fire departments assisted, and Richland County Sheriff's Office also responded to take a report of the fire because it was reportedly intentionally set.

Niswander said it was not yet clear whether charges would be filed.


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