A 72-year-old Mountain View man is facing two felony charges and a misdemeanor after authorities say he set fire to his camper while attempting to burn snakes from a floor vent with alcohol and a lighter, igniting a blaze that spread to neighboring campers at a local RV park.
Charles Howard Gillihan was charged May 15 in Stone County Circuit Court with felony reckless burning, felony criminal mischief in the first degree, and misdemeanor public intoxication. He was arrested and later released on a $35,000 bond.
According to court documents, the Mountain View Fire Department responded to Green Acres RV Park on May 8 after a camper was reported on fire. Investigating officer Russell Gilbert arrived to find Gillihan’s camper in flames, along with two other campers belonging to park residents.
Gillihan told Gilbert he had discovered snakes in a vent near his table, poured alcohol on them, and lit the alcohol with a lighter. He said the fire started beside his couch.
One couple was asleep in their camper with their dog when park owner Stacy Buchanan woke them by banging on the camper and shouting that the neighboring unit was on fire. The family escaped safely before their camper caught fire and burned.
Another resident, who was away from the park at the time, was notified by Buchanan by phone. When the resident arrived at approximately 3:30 p.m., he found his van, parked next to the burning trailer, with paint burned off, plastic trim melted, and paneling warped along the driver’s side. The resident said the outer shell of his RV was also melted, its interior filled with smoke, and that plastic components, an air conditioning unit cover, and portions of the door, walls, glass, and insulation on the side facing the fire were damaged. He said he never saw open flames in either vehicle, but observed significant heat and smoke damage to both.
Mountain View Police Chief George Bethell spoke briefly with Gillihan in the back of a patrol vehicle and noted the odor of intoxicants on his breath, according to the charging documents.
George Howard Gillihan (Image via the Stone County Sheriff’s Office)
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