Covington PD call 4th of July house fire ‘arson’

COVINGTON, Tenn. — After a family lost their home due to a fire on the 4th of July , Covington Police are now calling it an arson and offering a reward for the suspects.

“Since the fire, we been trying to find a home we can rent until we rebuild,” Celother Fulton said. “We trying to rebuild in the same location we was burned out at.”

Fulton said the family has decided to rebuild in the same location as their old Best Street home because of sentimental value.

Nearly three weeks after the fire, Fulton said he still has nightmares about the flames consuming the house.

“At night time, you’ll see it in your dreams sometimes, especially at the fact there was kids in the house and we were trapped in,” Fulton said. “It’s kind of traumatizing.”

It’s believed someone shooting fireworks caused the blaze which left six people, including children, with virtually no escape except through the bathroom window.

Now, the family that lost everything is learning firsthand what the word ‘community’ really means.

“One person donated us a truck,” Fulton said. “There’s been a lot of people blessing us. There’s been a lot of blessing for sure.”

Churches have given, Naifeh’s Cash Saver donated gift cards and a local charity is replacing clothes that were lost in the fire. Some of the clothing donated comes from “It’s Fashion!” , a store in Covington.

“It’s heartwarming because I have kids myself,” said Crystal Brent, the manager of It’s Fashion. “To be able to receive something from a total stranger that will help you, that’s great. That’s awesome.”

The family has also learned that not everyone’s heart is in the right place.

Fulton told WREG that within days of the fire, someone stole a tire off of his girlfriend’s car, leaving the already damaged car jacked up on a concrete block. It appears thieves were “prepping” this tire, but broke the lug nuts trying to remove it.

Police are watching the property to discourage any potential looters.

As they continue to investigate the cause of the fire, the police announced that they’re offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest.

They say they are looking for a red car that was occupied by several suspects who were possibly responsible for the arson.

If you have any information, you are asked to contact Covington Police at 901-475-1261 or the TBI tip line at 1-800-762-3017.

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