Puxico man facing arson, property damage charges after 2 farms set on fire

STODDARD COUNTY, Mo. (KBSI) – A Puxico man faces arson charges in Stoddard County.

Allen Eugene Wilson faces charges of second-degree arson, two counts of knowingly burning or exploding and three counts of first-degree property damage.

Stoddard County Sheriff’s deputies received a call on July 2 from someone reporting a fire on of his/her farms.

A tractor was burned on July 1. When the property owner got to the scene, he saw it was on fire.

Deputies say a John Deere tractor had significant smoke damage and was still smoking from the rear dual wheels. It was valued at $30,000 and deemed a total loss.

The person also told deputies he also discovered his electric irrigation well had been burned as well. It is about a quarter mile from the site of the burned tractor.

Deputies say burned grass around the electrical box. They saw fire damage to the bottom area of the electrical box. The well was still operational.

Deputies received a call about a shop fire on July 5 around 4:44 p.m. They say it was a short distance from the tractor and well fires. Deputies say the damage will be more than $7,000 between the two tractors, two bales of straw, other contents and the building. They say the building and tractors were not a total loss.

Sheriff’s deputies received a report that the fire had rekindled around 9:20 p.m. on July 5. The fire department was sent back out to the scene.

A sheriff’s detective interviewed Wilson on July 5. The detective says Wilson told him he was home at 4 p.m. and did not go anywhere else.

Wilson admitted to putting a lit cigarette on dry straw bales before leaving the scene, according to court documents. The fire was reported about 19 minutes later.

The sheriff’s detective says Wilson denied, then later admitted to setting the tractor and well pump on fire earlier in the week. The detective says Wilson also admitted to setting another farmer’s field on fire about three to four weeks earlier.