Posted: 1/9/07
Houston man charged with arson in 2004 fire at Money Creek Lodge
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
Mark Leonard Heintz, 43, Houston, was charged on December 29 with first and second degree arson for the 2004 fire that destroyed Money Creek Haven Lodge.
Heintz was the lone occupant of the building when it burned in the early morning hours of January 7, 2004. He was arrested at the scene, but later released for lack of evidence.
A forensic electrical engineer ruled out heaters or electrical problems as the source of the fire in mid-2006, county attorney Rick Jackson said on on January 5.
"The evidence we have and the lack of other reasonable explanations for the fire points to Mr. Heintz as having caused this," Jackson said.
Fillmore County Judge Robert Benson set bail at $50,000 conditional and $250,000 unconditional at Heintzís arraignment on January 4 in the Houston County Courthouse.
Heintz, a truck driver for Wal-mart, appeared in court again on January 8. Details of that appearance will be reported in next weekís paper. He posted bail on January 5.
Jackson argued for $100,000 conditional bail in court last week. He said that a conviction would carry a presumptive prison sentence and an incentive for him not reappear.
Jackson also said that there was a connection with Heintz appearing at structure fires, particularly when he was experiencing a great deal of stress. He said that went back to the early 1990s and to five separate fires.
(On November 5, 1994, a trailer house in a mobile home park in Caledonia that Mark Heintz was living in also was destroyed by fire. There were six children in the home with him at the time. He told authorities that he got four of the children out of the home to neighbors, then went back into heavy smoke and found the other two children. No charges were filed in that incident.)
Heintz told Judge Benson that he was not a flight risk, and that he had to support his wife, six children, and make two house payments. "I need to get back to work," he said.
One condition of release is that Heintz call the sheriffís office as soon as he knows what his next trucking run will be. Heintz also may not have accelerants outside of a residence he is living in.
Heintz was also living at a trailer at Money Creek Haven Lodge which burned to the ground one month prior to the lodge fire.
About the case
Heintz told investigators that he had been watching television in the common room the night of the lodge fire. He said he woke up to the smell of smoke and the sound of a smoke alarm. He said he grabbed a fire extinguisher and went to his room, where he saw a lot of smoke. He said he thought his bed was on fire. He then went outside and called 9-1-1.
The fire was also called in by John Tschumper from Money Creek, who saw it as he was driving by at about 3:45 a.m. that Wednesday morning.
State fire marshal Steve Wolf examined two electric oil filled heaters and two electrical outlets that were in Heintzís room. Wolf ruled that all natural causes of the fire could be eliminated.
An independent forensic engineering examiner also looked at the equipment and eliminated all natural and accidental causes.
Wolf determined that "the origin of the fire was near the foot of the bed and near the center of the room." He listed the cause as "incendiary and intentionally set."
Money Creek Haven Lodge was built as an addition to a farm house by owner Bud Fitting and his brothers, Ralph and Roland Fitting, about 43 years ago. The lodge contained a restaurant in the winter, and rooms for rent. The restaurant had been open on the Tuesday before the fire.
Budís son and daughter-in-law, Wayne and Carla Fitting, lease Money Creek Haven. After the fire they winterized a summer building which now contains the restaurant. They did not rebuild the lodge, but built a single story structure over the foundation of it to protect the water system.
Fitting said on January 5 that it was too early to comment on the charges against Heintz.
Money Creek Haven Campground is located in section 12 of Money Creek township. It contains 16 trailers occupied by permanent residents, and has about 200 camping and trailer sites.
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