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Firefighters testified Monday that the 1996 blaze that destroyed a Warsaw home was intentionally set.
Firemen from the Atwood and Warsaw fire departments testified in a trial Monday that a fire in a home owned by Roger Hale did not follow burn patterns of a natural or accidental fire. One firefighter was injured attempting to enter the house.
Hale is on trial in Kosciusko Superior Court and is charged with arson causing bodily injury, a Class A felony. The case is expected to go to the jury later today.
Hale is accused of starting a fire that destroyed his home on CR 525W, Warsaw, in the early morning hours of Sept. 24, 1996.
Hale's cousin, who was with him the night of the blaze, told police in the affidavit for probable cause "that Roger had often talked about wishing the house would burn and talked about burning it himself because it brings back all the bad memories of his wife Tammy." Hale and his wife were separated at the time of the fire.
Another friend of Hale reported in the affidavit that Roger allegedly offered his cousin, David Francis, $5,000 of the home's insurance money to help Hale burn the house. She also allegedly reported Roger wanted to "burn his residence to erase the memories of his ex-wife."
Hale denies having anything to do with setting the fire. His attorney, Richard Thonert, said Monday that Hale is expected to take the stand today and say he is innocent.
The fire was first spotted by David Mast, who was driving by on his way to work Sept. 24. Mast testified Monday that he could see a glow in the sky, and when he reached the house smoke and flames were coming out a picture window on the east side of the home.
Atwood Fire Department arrived at 4:07 a.m., minutes after the 911 call. Fire Chief Mike Harmon said that the flames were shooting through the roof of the house when he arrived.
He testified that it took his department, Warsaw Fire Department and Etna Green Fire Department more than an hour to get the blaze under control.
Harmon said he called for investigators at the scene when he could not find an electrical or gas cause for the fire.
The investigators from Squad 70, the county fire investigation team, arrived throughout the morning.
Terry Himes, Warsaw firefighter and member of Squad 70, testified that burn patterns found in the house were irregular and indicated that the fire burned downward. Himes and other investigators testified that fire burns up and outward, and will not burn down unless it is caused by a liquid accelerant, such as gasoline or diesel fuel.
Himes said that investigators found evidence an accelerant was used, but could not determine what kind of product it was.
Himes said the fire was "a very hot fire," another possible indicator of accelerant use. When asked why an unusually hot fire was significant, Himes said, "There was something abnormal to help the fire burn hotter than normal."
Under cross-examination, Himes admitted that the investigators could not determine exactly how the fire was caused.
Michael Blair, an Atwood firefighter, testified that he was injured climbing through a second story window to help put out hot spots in the insulation. Blair said he got to the scene at 7:15 a.m. and helped with fire suppression, putting out spots of the fire that were still smoldering.
Blair testified he slipped off the ladder and hit his knee on the window sill. The injury eventually required arthroscopic surgery to repair damage to Blair's knee.
Thonert said Hale was not home when the fire began and continues to say he had nothing to do with it.
The affidavit for probable cause said Hale told police he and his cousin played pool in the house until 2 a.m. and then left the residence. Hale told police he plugged a battery charger into an outlet in the room where the fire started before he left the house. Hale said he returned later in the morning to find fire crews still at the scene and his home destroyed.
