Battalion Chief Mike Stokes doesn’t need a fire marshal’s report.

The Selma Fire Chief knows the fire that destroyed a trailer on County Road 936 was arson.

“I’m about 100 percent sure it’s arson,” he said. “In fact, I know its arson. I don’t know who the arsonist is, but I’m 99.9 percent sure its arson.”

Stokes said one of the reasons he’s sure is because of the way the trailer was destroyed.

Sometime after 8 p.m. a fire broke out at a Fleetwood Mobile Home on 167 County Road 936.

While the fire destroyed the trailer, leaving little more than ashes and metal, it was actually the second attempt on the mobile home that day.

Firefighters had reported to a call at the home about 12 hours earlier.

“Someone had lit a mattress on fire in the living room,” he said.

Stokes said firefighters extinguished the blaze that morning, which only caused minor damage.

It wasn’t over.

“12 or 13 hours after we’d been out there somebody came out there and set the entire trailer on fire,” Stokes said.

Police reports stated that an unknown accelerant was used to start the second fire.

“I’m sure there was an accelerant poured, you can see the pour pattern,” Stokes said.

The Times-Journal was unable to verify the owner of the home as of presstime.

“The trailer was vacant, the owner had moved out and moved somewhere else in town,” Stokes said.

All of the utilities were disconnected when the fires started.

Stokes said that Selma Police are investigating the fire along with the SFD.

The state fire marshal’s office will also investigate.