Serial Arsonist Arrested in Florida

The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office, which operates under the direction of the Florida Department of Financial Services and CFO Jeff Atwater, announced the arrest of Travis Michael Pierce for allegedly setting two separate structure fires at the local golf club “The Links at 434” club house in Altamonte Springs, Fla., on Jan. 1 and Jan. 4, 2016. Pierce, a former volunteer firefighter from Pennsylvania, is not new to arson charges, according to a statement from DFS.

At the time of his arrest, Pierce was on parole for arson- and fraud-related to fires set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, DFS said. Fortunately, the golf course and club houses involved in the most recent fires had been closed for more than a year, and the building was unoccupied at the time of the fire. The first fire was set near the front door of the building using common combustibles and a lighter. DFS stated that Pierce put this fire out and returned to the building on Jan. 4 to allegedly set the second fire in a utility closet using paint thinner he found in the building.

Pierce is charged with two counts of arson to a structure and burglary of an unoccupied structure. Pierce faces a possible 45 years in prison, if convicted. The State Fire Marshal’s Office said Altamonte Springs Police Department assisted with this case.