Man arrested following Peabody fire

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JANET HAMOUS
A rural Peabody man was arrested by the Marion County sheriff’s officers last week on charges that he set fire to his the house he was living in to cover up a methamphetamine lab.

The fire last Wednesday caused heavy damage to the kitchen and smoke and heat damage throughout a historic stone house one mile west of Peabody on U.S. Highway 50.

Fire crews from Peabody, Florence, Walton and Newton responded to the blaze that was called in at about 9:45 Wednesday morning.

Peabody Fire Chief Ronnie Harms said the fire started in the kitchen and spread through the walls to the roof of the home.

“That’s where we had trouble getting the fire out because it went up the wall and up to the attic,” he said. “Your newer houses have fire breaks where it can’t go straight up the wall. With older houses, there’s nothing there.”

The blaze was extinguished by noon, Harms said.

Michael King, the resident of the home, was at home at the time the fire started but was not injured. He was arrested by Undersheriff Randal Brazil.

According to the a report from the sheriff’s department, King had been making methamphetamines in his house.

King was later released after posting a $25,000 bond.

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