A Columbia man was arrested and charged with arson just hours after a small fire at a residence in the city.
Luther Ray Oneal was arrested last Wednesday and charged with first degree arson of a dwelling for the incident that occurred the same day. His bond was set in Marion County Justice Court at $20,000 and as of late Monday he was still lodged in the Marion County Jail.
“Shortly after 7 a.m. Sgt. Davey Bass responded with the Columbia Fire Department to a structure fire at 104 Wilks Ave.,” Detective Capt. Rita Pickering said. “The homeowner, James Anderson, had left for work at 5 a.m. and his wife, Christa, woke up around 6:30 a.m. and smelled plastic burning.”
The fire was discovered around 7 a.m. and Pickering said witnesses had noticed something suspicious.
“They said Oneal was in the area when the fire started,” she said. “The lattice work around the base of the house and around the dryer vent was burned. There were also burned leaves around the house.”
The State Fire Marshal’s Office was then called to assist in the investigation as firefighters finished extinguishing the blaze.
“The State Fire Marshal’s Office brought in a dog,” Pickering said. “The dog detected the odor of an accelerant. Thankfully, nobody got hurt. The CFD got there pretty quickly and put it out. The interior of the home was not damaged, just the exterior.”
The incident remains under investigation.
