Published: August 21, 2008 09:28 am      

Police arrest man on arson charge

Investigators say damage caused by homeowner

DANVILLE — County law enforcement arrested a rural Danville man accused of setting fire to his own home earlier this year.

A county deputy and an investigator took Charlie Hudison, 47, into custody Wednesday morning on a charge of arson. Bond was set at $30,000.

The fire at Hudison’s home at 18174E 1250N in the Hawbuck area was reported the morning of June 9. It began in the attached garage, according to the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Kirk Miller, an investigator for the sheriff’s department, said an investigation began after the state fire marshal’s office requested assistance from the sheriff’s department.

Miller said an ongoing property dispute between Hudison and his wife and their neighbors is a contributing factor in the fire. The Hudisons, at the time of the blaze, contended the fire was set by someone they knew.

According to court records, Hudison filed suit in December 2007 stating a deed between the Hudisons and their neighbors incorrectly described a tract of land, putting it down the middle of the Hudison home.

A preliminary injunction request also was filed in the case, alleging the neighbors had dug up plants and part of the septic system around the Hudison home. No action has been taken in the case.

Miller said there have been numerous fires at the residence. Investigators have begun to examine another fire reported dur-ing the Thanksgiving holiday last year. Two fires — one a garage fire and the other a shed fire — have been reported at the residence in the last two years. Both were determined to be arson.

Hudison was convicted of misdemeanor property damage after being accused of breaking three windshields belonging to his neighbor on Aug. 1, 2006.

Hudison was released Wednesday from the Public Safety Building after his wife posted bond in the arson case. His first court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 19.

The arson charge is a Class 2 felony, punishable by up to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.