If you are trying to convince police you had nothing to do with a fire, showing up with singed eyebrows and a bandaged arm is a tough look to overcome.
Columbus investigators say a man learned that the hard way this week after a reported gasoline theft at an industrial yard allegedly turned into a full-blown blaze that torched his pickup and spread to nearby fuel tanks. Officers have now charged him with felony arson.
Video Shows Flash, Fuel Siphoning At Industrial Yard
According to police, surveillance footage shows a Dodge Dakota rolling up to a locked gate on the 1800 block of Walcutt Road. The driver is seen removing fuel from storage tanks and loading it into the truck bed. The video then captures a sudden flash that ignites the bed of the pickup, with flames spreading to the fuel tanks on the property before the truck leaves the scene, as reported by WKBN. The site sits near the old Buckeye Yard railyard, just south of Hilliard.
Burned Brows, Bandages And A Confession
Investigators traced the Dodge Dakota to 31-year-old William Bush. When Bush arrived for an interview, officers say he had all the telltale signs of recent burns: singed eyebrows, a burned cheek and earlobe, and a bandaged arm.
Bush told police he had been fired from the Walcutt Road property in August 2025. He allegedly admitted that he returned to take gasoline and that he accidentally sparked the fire when he tried to light a cigarette, according to WCMH/NBC4.
Felony Charge, $40,000 Bond And Court Date Set
Columbus police have charged Bush with one count of felony arson. A judge set his bond at $40,000, and he is scheduled to appear in court on April 24, 2026, per WKBN.
To secure a felony arson conviction, prosecutors will have to show that Bush knowingly caused a fire or explosion that meets the elements laid out in state law.
Ohio’s Arson Laws And Possible Penalties
Under Ohio law, basic arson is defined in ORC 2909.03 and aggravated arson in ORC 2909.02, with penalties ratcheting up if the act creates a substantial risk of physical harm or involves occupied structures, according to the Ohio Revised Code. Convictions can carry felony prison terms and, in certain situations, can require registration as an arson offender. How much time Bush could face will depend on how prosecutors classify the case and what facts ultimately come out in court.
