Barn fire leads to arson arrest

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November 25, 2009

BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL The Commercial-News Wed Nov 25, 2009, 07:46 PM CST

DANVILLE — A Vermilion County man was arrested in connection with a fire that totaled a barn last month.

James E. Erwin, 37, of Tilton was arrested Tuesday afternoon on preliminary charges of arson and theft in connection with the blaze on Oct. 31 along Shangri-La Road in rural Oakwood.

Bill Hurt, an investigator with the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Department, said Erwin is accused of stealing several bales of hay stored in the barn, located in the 15000 block of Shangri-La Road.

Erwin was using a lighter while in the barn, which led to the fire that destroyed the structure and contents. Damages were totaled at $19,000.

Gary Wright, Westville fire chief and investigator for the I & I Firefighters Association, determined the fire to be arson, Hurt said.

Erwin appeared in count on Wednesday for arraignment on a charge of arson. A preliminary hearing is set for next month.

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