A house fire on Wright Place Road in Fentress County has turned into a criminal case, with a Jamestown woman now accused of setting the blaze while people were still inside. Authorities say the fire broke out Thursday at a home on a rural road, and although the incident could have ended in tragedy, no injuries were reported. The suspect is facing two counts of aggravated arson and is currently being held in the county jail without bond.
Special agent fire investigators with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation joined the Fentress County Sheriff’s Office at the scene and quickly concluded the fire was intentionally set while the homeowners were inside, according to WVLT. The outlet reports TBI agents responded Thursday morning to the Wright Place Road address and worked alongside local fire crews as they put out the flames.
Investigators later identified 59-year-old Regina Owens Scroggins as the suspect. She was arrested and booked into the Fentress County Jail on two counts of aggravated arson and is being held without bond, according to NewsChannel5.
What investigators say
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said its special agent fire investigators worked with the sheriff’s office to process the scene and gather evidence at the Wright Place Road home, per WBIR. Local fire officials said the homeowners made it out safely, and authorities note the investigation is still active as they work to determine a possible motive and what comes next in the case.
Legal implications
Under Tennessee law, aggravated arson applies when a person knowingly commits arson while one or more people are present and is classified as a Class A felony, according to the Tennessee Code. That designation makes the charge one of the state’s most serious non-capital offenses, and prosecutors will evaluate the evidence as the investigation moves forward.
