One arrested in Tuesday fires

Firefighters with the Crossville Fire Department were called to Methodist Campground Loop off Old Jamestown Hwy. around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday with a report of multiple structure fires.

Fire crews were called to the campus of the historic Cumberland Mountain School early Tuesday morning with a report of three structures on fire.

By 8 a.m., the fires were out and a suspect was in custody, charged with intentionally setting the fires that consumed a pavilion and damaged two other buildings.

Dalton Douglas Rayburn, 29, is charged with three counts of arson in the incident.

Firefighters with the Crossville Fire Department were called to Methodist Campground Loop off Old Jamestown Hwy. around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday with a report of multiple structure fires. They found a large pavilion fully involved and fires at a bathhouse and a restored building used as an event venue.

“Fire crews began aggressive firefighting operations to extinguish the multiple blazes,” Crossville Fire Chief Chris South said in a press release.

Smoke and fire were seen at the rear of the event building and the bathhouse. Both were extinguished and the structures saved, but the buildings suffered heavy smoke damage.

The pavilion, however, suffered a roof collapse and was a total loss.

Cumberland Mountain School is a historic property that included six structures — including the library that has been restored as an event center and Susie Gray Hall currently under renovation. The school was founded in 1921 and allowed students to pay for their education by helping grow crops eaten at the school or sold. The school closed in 1938. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

As firefighters were extinguishing the flames at the library and bathhouse, they noticed Christmas decorations and foam board insulation had been piled up next to the back porch and back door of the event building.

“It is believed that this is how the fires were started,” Detective Tim Vandever wrote in his report. “It could not be determined what was used on the pavilion as it was all burnt up.”

The early morning fire call was not the first fire report of the night for the department. They had responded during overnight hours to two different reports of a fire burning under the Hwy. 127 N. bridge at the Obed River. Those were small trash fires that were quickly extinguished with no damage.

Investigators with the Crossville Police Department accessed security camera footage from the property and quickly circulated a description of someone spotted on the footage.

Vandever took the photo to neighboring residences. One person said he’d seen someone similar the day before at Walmart. There, Vandever was able to get a more clear image of the suspect, wearing the same clothing. He was able to verify the suspect was Rayburn, a homeless man known to officers.

Crossville Fire Department Deputy Chief Terry Potter spotted the suspect a short time later walking behind East Tennessee Doge and called for officers. Rayburn was taken into custody by Detective Tyrel Lorenz.

According to the report, Lorenz read Rayburn his rights, and he agreed to speak with officers.

“He stated that he had taken some bad drugs and that the ‘Voo-Doo’ told him to start those fires,” the report continues.

Officers found cigarette lighters in his pockets, which were seized as evidence along with a cellphone.

A search warrant is pending to examine any evidence that might be found on the phone.

Heather Mullinix is editor of the Crossville Chronicle. She covers schools and education in Cumberland County. She may be reached at [email protected].

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