At approximately 7 a.m. this morning, Bramblewood Village Resident, Pete Keller went outside and seen smoke coming from Apartment number 3 in the Apartment Complex located on Vaughn Road in Grantsville. Another resident phoned 911 and an attempt was made to get into the apartment, but both the door and dead bolt appeared to be locked.
Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched around 7:30 a.m. at which time Chief David Johnson and Jon Fleagle went in route to the department. With the nature of the dwelling Chief Johnson requested mutual aid from both the Arnoldsburg and West Fork Volunteer Fire Departments as well as the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department in Ritchie County. Also offering assistance was Cairo Volunteer Fire Department.
Jon Fleagle was first on scene and knocked down the locked door to discover heat and smoke filling the building. Uncertain of where the resident was, Firefighters began to search the dwelling which had zero visibility due to smoke. Two fire firefighters received scrapes when they fell through a sizable hole in the floor going into the bedroom in search of the resident. Fire Fighter, Kayla Morford noticed debris outside an open window in the backyard and notified law enforcement. The fire was contained in Apt 3 with smoke and water damage to Apts. 4,2, and 1.
Tpr. Brian Young arrived to investigate and discovered the resident hiding beneath a trailer in the rear of the apartment building. Following further investigation, Trp. Young filed a criminal complaint stating:
Darrin Vaughan, on July 8th, 2022, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., while living at 690 Vaughn Road, Apartment 3, Grantsville, Calhoun County, did intentionally start a fire inside his apartment and exited the residence from the back window, leaving the fire burning. The accused stated that he believed people were after him and wanted to harm him. So he lit the fire and attempted to escape out the back window to get away. The accused made it as far as the adjoining lot before laying down, where he was discovered under a trailer. The accused admitted to lighting the fire and leaving. He made no attempt to notify any others living inside the apartment complex.
Darrin Vaughan is now being arraigned in Calhoun County Magistrate Court.
The fire is now also under investigation by the West Virginia State Fire Marshall.
