A South Carolina man with a criminal history has been arrested on arson charges in Effingham County.
Matthew Collett, 22, of Anderson S.C. has been charged with burglary and arson in the first degree, Effingham County Sheriff’s Office spokesman David Ehsanipoor said.
The arrest followed a house fire on Sandhill Road on Aug. 27. The vacant residence sustained extensive damage.
“During the investigation by the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and the State Fire Marshal, it was determined that the fire was intentionally set,” Ehsanipoor said. “Investigators believe that an ignitable liquid was used to start the fire.”
Deputies found the fire after being called to a home on Ogeechee River Drive for a disorderly person report.
The Ogeechee River Drive home was the residence of a Collett family member.
The family member reported to deputies that he had asked Collett to leave the house.
Collett began screaming and warned the complainant “he would be sorry.”
The complainant told deputies that Collett had a history of violence and setting fires when he had been drinking.
Collett was convicted of arson in Chatham County in 1998, and was a volunteer firefighter, Ehsanipoor said.
Collett is currently being held in the Effingham County Jail.