Iron County man facing arson charge after allegedly setting home on fire

CEDAR CITY, Utah (ABC4) — An Iron County man is facing an aggravated arson charge after police say he allegedly set his home on fire early Sunday morning.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Cedar City Police and firefighters were called to a structure fire around 1 a.m. Sunday morning. A supervisor on scene noted suspicious circumstances and statements made by the property resident, Tyson Hopkins, 38. Hopkins was notified of the fire around 1:30 a.m., and told police he was headed to Sanpete County and was putting gas in his car when he was informed.

Upon returning to the scene, Hopkins reportedly made statements to firefighters there, such as “I wish you guys would just let it burn” and asking about their procedure and policy for preservation of evidence. Hopkins was reportedly eager to leave the scene.

Hopkins told police officers he hadn’t been home in a couple of days, but a neighbor confirmed he was in and out of the home on the day of the fire. Hopkins also denied knowledge of the fire or any involvement in it.

Officers obtained a search warrant to search Hopkins and his vehicle, where they found a large amount of loose, clean clothing and a stack of loose and framed photos.

Hopkins was transported to the Cedar City Police Department for questioning, where he provided police a timeline of his activities before the fire. Hopkins stated he initially stopped at a gas station to buy cigarettes, but security cam footage showed him purchasing two red fuel cans and filling them up.

Hopkins left the gas station but returned shortly after to purchase more fuel for the gas cans. After being show the security camera footage, Hopkins admitted he lied to police and told them he bought the fuel and took it back to the home to light it on fire with a pallet.

After the initial fire didn’t stay lit, Hopkins reportedly went back to the gas station for more fuel and used it to light the fire again with the windows open to allow air in. Hopkins then left the residence.

A Deputy State Fire Marshall was called to the scene for investigation and stated the burn pattern inside the home was suspicious, and was consistent with the location that Hopkins stated he started the fire.

Hopkins was booked into Iron County Jail on one count of Aggravated Arson, a first-degree felony.