Winchester man charged with arson in fire at his home

Winchester Man Charged with Arson

A 29-year-old Winchester man, Travis J. Clark, has been charged with arson, a Level 4 felony punishable by up to 12 years in prison. The charge was officially filed in October.

Incident Details

According to an affidavit, on October 27, a Winchester police officer was dispatched to the Randolph County Jail after Clark voluntarily contacted authorities to confess to a crime. Clark admitted to setting a fire in his home located on the 400 block of North East Street in September.

Clark stated the fire "caught fire to the laundry room and the back bedroom."

Motivation and Investigation

Clark reportedly admitted to starting the fire due to stress related to credit card debt. He also mentioned that an investigator from his insurance company had requested the cell phones in his household. Clark indicated he had researched how to ignite a fire using his cell phone.

Legal Proceedings

Clark has a trial scheduled for April 8 in Randolph Superior Court.
He was released from jail after posting a $1,000 cash bond.
Court records show no previous charges against him.

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Author's summary: Travis J. Clark from Winchester faces arson charges after confessing to starting a fire in his home due to financial stress, with a trial date set for next April.

The Star Press — 2025-11-05