Part of the appeal of living in a small town is the sense of community it brings. It’s nice to raise a family among neighbors you know and trust, which is something a crowded city seldom offers.
Over the past few months, mysterious and lethal fires started popping up all over a small town in northern California. As if that wasn’t scary enough, the residents were left terrified when they realized that someone they knew and trusted was responsible for the chaos.
The First Fire
According to authorities in Cottonwood, California, a series of fires have been tormenting resident of the community since the first fire broke out on July 27. That fire broke out in the early morning and ended up being a shed on a family’s property. At that point, firefighters didn’t believe anything sinister was going on in the town.
A Few Hours Later
However, within a few hours, the fire department started noticing a worrying trend. Just a few hours after that first fire, responders were notified about another vegetation fire near the train tracks running through the area. When they arrived, they found three separate vegetation fires close to each other.
A Red Flag
The three separate fires hadn’t started naturally and signaled to firefighters that someone had intentionally set them. Over the next few weeks, vegetation fires started popping up all over the small town, and firefighters feared an arsonist may be setting fires around the community.
Notifying The Police
By the end of August, firefighters had no choice but to notify the sheriff’s major crimes unit in Cottonwood as there seemed to be no sign of the fires stopping. Thankfully, the fire department didn’t wait any longer. On September 1, the fires began to reach homes in the community.
A Close Call
According to authorities, the first home targeted belonged to 98-year-old Pete Lambert. Lambert, a World War II veteran bomber pilot, is a well-known member of the community. Sadly, his home was completely destroyed in the fire. Thankfully, however, the 98-year-old managed to survive after a neighbor entered the home and rescued him.
An Unexpected Turn
In the days that followed, authorities were still investigating the suspicious fires when they received calls about another fire. Two days later, another fire broke out and authorities officially ruled it as arson. Then, the fires suddenly and unexpectedly stopped.
A Month With No Fires
According to the police, there were no reported fires in Cottonwood from September 10 to October 6, which confused but relieved both investigators and residents from the town. Sadly, a fire that broke out on October 7 was worse than any of the other fires prior.
Overwhelmed With Calls
That Sunday, after almost a month without any fires, first responders were overwhelmed when they received calls about three separate fires in the town. One of those fires targeted a home on Willow Street that belonged to 86-year-old Barcie Miller.
The Fires Turn Deadly
Miller’s home was completely destroyed in the fire and, tragically, the 86-year-old didn’t make it out alive. Authorities ruled the fire as arson and announced that they were considering Miller’s death a homicide. Understandably, residents were devastated and terrified by the news.
12 Fires In One Day
Up until that point, the fires had only caused damage to structures and people’s belongings. No one had been seriously hurt because of the fires until Miller’s death. Just a week later, more grass fires were reported. On October 20, a total of 12 fires broke out all throughout the town.
A Serial Case
According to the Sheriff’s Office, there have been more than 40 fires in Cottonwood and the surrounding areas since July. At first, investigators didn’t want to cause panic and link the fires to a single, serial arsonist. “They don’t want to call it a serial pattern or a serial case,” Joseph Giacalone, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former New York Police Department sergeant, told the Redding Record Spotlight. “But it’s exactly what it is.”
Profiling The Arsonist
According to Giacalone, a serial arsonist would be difficult to catch because the person likely blends in with the rest of the residents. Giacalone also speculated that the arsonist likely wasn’t someone with a mental illness as they wouldn’t have been able to go unnoticed for so long.
Experts Weigh In
“I can’t believe that they haven’t found the person after three months,” Dian Williams, the chief executive officer of the Center for Arson Research, told the Redding Record Spotlight. “This is amazing to me that … they have so many resources and ways to find out different things, and they haven’t found anybody.”
‘On The Inside’
Both Williams and Giacalone both believed the suspect lived in the town and that Willow Street, where several fires have been started, is his comfort zone. “Even if somebody did see him, they wouldn’t think anything of it because, ‘Oh, that’s the kid that lives around the corner,'” Giacalone said. “I’m telling you, this is a guy on the inside.”
Frustration Grows
Residents quickly became frustrated that the arsonist hadn’t been caught yet and felt particularly scared when they realized the person was most likely someone living in the town that they knew. “It’s scary, but then you’re also angry, because why can’t they catch them,” Sandy Cappello.
Refusing to Wait
“You feel so violated. Someone was in your yard, and you were in the house sleeping and they lit your house on fire,” Cappello said. While the police assured residents they were doing everything in their power to find the person or people responsible for the fires, many throughout the community refused to wait any longer for police to solve the case.
The Community Bands Together
In order to help, several residents came together to start patrolling the town overnight when most of the fires broke out. “Whoever they are, they’re able to strike fast and disappear,” Earl Boek, a resident and Vietnam veteran, told KRCR. “Whoever did this declared war on the Community of Cottonwood. You’re going to know who these people are. You probably know who they are because they live here. They probably could not be setting these fires and getting away so quick if they didn’t know the area.”
The Prime Suspect
In late October, authorities finally managed to track down their prime suspect, 18-year-old Samuel Villa Scholfield. During the months where he tormented the town with fires, police managed to collect a variety of evidence including DNA on an oil can used to start a fire, shoe prints, surveillance footage of a short male walking toward Miller’s home on Willow street at 4:30 a.m., and surveillance footage of Scholfield’s red 2000 Nissan Sentra.
The Arrest
On October 26, authorities followed Scholfield and made a traffic stop to ask him questions. As he got out of the car, police saw a lighter on the front seat and a propane canister with a torch attached on the floor of the passenger seat. They also later found a video on his cell phone of one of the first fires. While Scholfield denied having anything to do with the fires, he was arrested on the spot and charged with 52 counts of arson, first-degree murder, and attempted murder.
‘The Kid Went Sour’
After Scholfield’s arrest, there have been no more fires reported in Cottonwood. “I am confident we have the guy,” Shasta County sheriff’s Capt. Pat Krophaller said in a statement. According to Rodney Madeiros, a resident and family friend of Scholfield’s step-parents, he wasn’t entirely surprised when he heard the news. “He’s always been in trouble,” Madeiros said. He also explained that the 18-year-old’s step parents are great people who are now receiving death threats for what their son did. The couple tried to get Scholfield help over the years, but nothing seemed to help him. “The kid went sour,” Madeiros said.
