TOOELE, Utah (ABC4) — A Tooele man faces a charge of arson greater than $5,000 after as many as 10 possible points of fire origin were found in a vacant apartment complex that burned down on Oct. 4.
Tyler Jordan Clark, 23, was allegedly on the private premises of a vacant apartment building on N. Broadway Ave. on Oct. 4 without permission. While there, Clark told fire investigators he had “yellow papers” he wanted to burn. He claimed to have used his cigarette lighter to ignite the papers and dropped them onto a nearby sofa. When he was allegedly unable to put the fire out by blowing on it, he left the burning building after allegedly smoking a cigarette.
According to the probable cause statement, Clark “gave several different stories about what happened earlier in the morning” leading up to the fire.
A deputy state fire marshal told police his initial investigation showed “at least 10 points of origin in the bottom level” of the building, and as such, he classified the fire as arson.
The PC statement also said police obtained video surveillance footage of Clark purchasing a gun torch lighter the night before at a convenience store a block away from the scene of the fire.
