Man arrested in connection with Columbia house fire

One person was arrested on Tuesday in connection with a house fire from July 3.

Bryan C. Nickle, 42, of Columbia, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree arson, second-degree burglary and second-degree property damage.

Archived video of the scene of the fire can be found in the player below.

The Columbia Police Department was brought in to investigate the fire as on arson on July 3. During its investigation, police found that Nickle, who was the victim’s ex-spouse, arrived at the home late on July 2, said CPD spokesman Jeff Pitts.

The victim told police that Nickle broke windows out of the home to try to talk to them, Pitts said. The victim then left the residence and returned the next morning to find Nickle in the yard of the home. The victim then went to the police station to report the property damage.

The Columbia Fire Department responded to the fire in the 1000 block of Hardin Street just after 7 a.m. the morning of July 3. The CFD fire marshal determined the fire was intentionally set and found evidence of accelerants in the home.

Officers also found evidence of forced entry to the residence, Pitts said.

Nickle was found at a later time and made spontaneous statements that he “barely made it out of the fire.”

Nickle is being held in the Boone County Jail on a $9,500 bond.

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