A welfare check tied to a protective order violation on Maysville Road in Allen County, Kentucky, turned into an arson investigation Monday after officers say they discovered a man had set multiple fires inside a home while animals were trapped there. Thomas Dilley, 48, was arrested and charged with second-degree arson following the discovery, according to WZTV.
Protective Order Call Turns Into Fire Scene
The Scottsville Police Department and the Allen County Sheriff's Office had initially responded to the Maysville Road residence to address a reported violation of an Emergency Protective Order, according to WZTV. As officers investigated, they say they found evidence that Dilley had intentionally started multiple fires inside the home while animals were still inside, per the investigation. The Kentucky State Police also joined the case, according to LEX18, which identified all three agencies involved in the joint investigation. Investigators say Dilley had allegedly threatened to burn the home, per the investigation cited by WZTV.
Kentucky State Police also joined the case, according to the Kentucky State Police.
Firefighters Pull Animals From Burning Home
Firefighters from the Scottsville Fire Department arrived at the burning residence, put out the blaze, and rescued all of the animals trapped inside, according to the same LEX18 account. Police publicly praised the fire department for its rapid response alongside law enforcement at the scene, the report notes. The exact number and species of animals rescued has not been specified.
In the aftermath, the rescued animals remained part of the case. Dilley faces additional animal cruelty charges as the investigation continues, according to WZTV.
What Kentucky Law Says About the Charges
Second-degree arson under Kentucky Revised Statutes § 513.030 applies when someone intentionally starts a fire or causes an explosion with the intent to destroy or damage a building belonging to another person, a Class B felony under the statute, according to the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. A conviction on that charge carries a mandatory prison sentence of 10 to 20 years, per an analysis published by attorney Frank Mungo. The available sources do not provide further details about how Kentucky law defines a building or whether the structure must be occupied.
The Emergency Protective Order violation that first brought officers to the property carries its own penalties. A first offense under KRS 403.763 is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in jail. The available sources do not detail how Emergency Protective Orders are accessed or sought.
On the animal cruelty front, Dilley faces additional animal cruelty charges as the investigation continues, according to WZTV.
A Small County Seat Grapples With a Serious Case
Allen County had an estimated population of just 22,536 residents in 2025, with Scottsville serving as both the county seat and its only incorporated municipality, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Scottsville also houses the local emergency dispatch center and the county court system, meaning the case will likely move through the same courthouse just blocks from where the fire occurred.
It remains unclear how much structural damage the Maysville Road home sustained or whether additional felony charges against Dilley will ultimately be presented to an Allen County grand jury. For now, the second-degree arson charge alone exposes him to a decade or more behind bars if convicted, with animal cruelty charges still pending as investigators continue their work.
