Officials investigating Canadatown blaze as possible case of arson

Police and fire officials are investigating a suspicious blaze that damaged a home in the Canadatown community late Saturday night.

Members of two local volunteer fire departments were called to a home on Peach Lane around 9:30 p.m. after the owner, Tom Justice, called the 911 Dispatch Center and reported light smoke coming from his residence.

"He went out to play pool that night and came home and his place was on fire," said Rick Fore, Chief of the Woodbine Volunteer Fire Department. "The dispatchers told him not to go inside. Things like that can get out of control real quick."

Fore said a total of 21 firefighters from Woodbine and Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Departments responded to the blaze.

Firefighters had the fire under control in about 30 minutes, but were on scene until around 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning making sure it was extinguished and helping with salvaging efforts.

Fore said no one was home at the time the fire started and added that, luckily, the blaze had only been able to slowly smolder before fire officials arrived, meaning the home can be repaired.

"It hadn’t really gotten a good breath of air yet," Fore said. "It’s kind of tricky. You just take a chance when fighting fires like that and do the best you can … The good thing is he did have insurance and the place can be fixed so he should be able to move back into it."

Fore said there appeared to be about two or three points of origin, a fact that leads investigators to believe the fire is a case of arson. One of the first firefighters on scene also noticed a basement door that was open when he arrived, pointing to a possible break in.

Fore said Justice’s home had been burglarized recently and that some neighbors reported seeing a green car go down the driveway toward the house before the fire started.

"As far as he knows, he didn’t have any enemies or anybody mad at him," Fore said. "It’s under investigation right now."

A Kentucky State Police arson investigator from Post 11 in London is handling the case. Samples have been sent off for lab analysis to determine if accelerants like gas or kerosene were used to start the fire.

Most of the damage caused by the fire was contained to a hallway and bedroom, though heavy black smoke filled the house.
Fore said no one was hurt extinguishing the blaze.