Bloomfield man charged in connection with weekend house fire

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Bloomfield man was arrested late Sunday in connection with a fire that destroyed a vacant home in Bloomfield and damaged two nearby homes.

According to Bloomfield assistant fire chief Michael B. Smith, the call came in shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday that there was a structure fire on Route J across from Golden Living Center.

Upon arrival, firefighters found the structure fully involved and noticed it had spread across the highway and into the grass of the Golden Living Center property.

Following questioning, police arrested Joseph Scott Wells, 41, and charged him with the misdemeanor of recklessly buring or exploding and the misdemeanor of first-degree trespassing. His bond was set at $2,500 cash-only.

According to the probable cause statement filed by Bloomfield police officer Jerry Wayne Hampton Jr., at 8:30 p.m. Sunday he was contacted by a witness who informed him that she had been in contact with Wells, who had stated he set the woods on fire next to his mother's residence earlier that day. The residence is reportedly located on Bloomfield Avenue.

The witness then played a telephone recording with a male voice saying that he had burned the house that he used to live in "across the street from the nursing home."

A later phone call, which was also listened to by police, heard the male voice say that "his old home had burned and he felt guilty and was to blame." He also stated that he was sitting on the witness' porch waiting for her to return home.

The officers then responded to the residence where they found him to be sitting on the front porch. He was then placed under arrest for suspicion of arson and found him to be in possession of a purple Bic disposable lighter.

The report states that Wells had not lived at the property for more than a year and that he does not own the property.

While being transported to the Stoddard County Jail he allegedly told officers that he was at the residence, but just to check the mail.

A later interview with the suspect's brother informed officers that Wells had told his brother he had accidentally burned his old house down. His brother stated Wells reportedly left a candle burning in the residence and when he returned to put it out the house was on fire.

His brother also said Wells had stated that if asked his friends would say he had been with them all day.

Wells will appear before Judge Joe Z. Satterfield for arraignment Thursday morning.

The fire is still under investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office.