Man Charged With Arson After Suspicious Fires Damage Escambia High School (With Gallery)

July 4, 2012

Suspicious fires damaged Escambia High School Tuesday night, and a Pensacola man has been charged with arson for starting the blazes.

Smoke was pouring from the roof of the two story portion of the school shortly after firefighters arrived shortly after 11  p.m.  Crews from multiple fire stations search the buildings for the origination of the smoke as ladder trucks towered over the school on 65th Avenue in Myrtle Grove.

Firefighters were able to locate a fire in at least two different classrooms as smoke filled much of the sprawling buildings. There were no injuries reported.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office was called in to the investigate the fire, along with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators and a crime scene unit were still at the school after 3 a.m. Wednesday.

Daniel Lance Quattlebaum, 21, was charged with arson, burglary and criminal mischief with property damage in connection with the incident. He remained in the Escambia County Jail Thursday with bond set at $112,500.

Further details have not yet been released.

For a photo gallery, click here.

Pictured top: An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy watches as two Escambia County firefighters pull a ventilation fan down a smoke filled outdoor corridor early Wednesday morning at Escambia County High School. Pictured inset: Smoke billows from Escambia High School shortly after the first firefighters arrive on scene Tuesday night. Pictured below: A ladder truck aerial towers over Escambia High School. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, Bob Solarski/WEAR 3 and reader submitted photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

14 Responses to “Man Charged With Arson After Suspicious Fires Damage Escambia High School (With Gallery)”

  1. donna mackey on July 5th, 2012 1:21 pm

    I just don’t understand why anyone has to destroy anything for any reason. I can’t believe the ONLY AMOUNT OF BAIL. He or they should not be able to have bond!!! I went to school there and it cost soooooo much to rebuild, renew any structure, and in a economy which has NOT ANY EXTRA MONEY TO DO THIS , and before the students come back is HORRIBLE…. THEY NEED TO HAVE TO WORK FOR 1 DOLLAR PER HOUR TILL THE AMOUNT IS PAID THAT IT COST TO REBUILD… HARD, HARD, LABOR WORK SWEAT, SWEAT, AND PAY BACK WHAT IT COST!!!! I CAN’T STAND YOU GUYS…. YOUR THUGS,…. NON EDUCATED APPARTENLY, AND WANTED FAME, IN A SICK WAY….SHAME ON YOU……ALL…… I WOULD BE SO DISAPPOINTED IN GIVING BIRTH TO YOU, ASK GOD FOR FORGIVENESS AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PAY BACK…NOW THERE IS MORE TO OUR PAYING TOWARD TAXES JUST BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPIDNESS!!!!!

  2. Albert on July 5th, 2012 10:12 am

    It is disheartens me to see a young person making such a bad judgment move such as this. I am lifted up though when I read articles like, “Local Youth ‘Converge’ During Camp That Served”. There are many stories out there about youths that are doing constructive things in society and I for one would like to see more of those stories. Let’s give the Quattlebaums’ of the world the cold shoulder. Let’s not give them their fifteen minutes of infamy because that is what they want. It empowers them to see their image and names in the headlines. Search out the good; find the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and the church groups who are out there trying to make a difference. The stories may not be as sensational but they have much more meaning.

  3. Hollie on July 4th, 2012 9:46 pm

    This is sad. Young disrespectul little punk. He needs to know how it is to work a job, take care off himself, and someone burn a building down that his taxes pay for. But no this brainless punk doesn’t have a clue…REALITY CHECK!!

  4. June Teal on July 4th, 2012 7:22 pm

    I agree with you Edie. This kid and so many others need exactly what you said as well as some good old respect for themselves and the property of others. That’s a school and should be respected as such, a place of learning, not destruction. Who knows, his parents may have tried to show him the way to go and the drugs sent him in another direction. I know there is help for this young man.

  5. just me on July 4th, 2012 2:15 pm

    I have to say that I agree with Edith Masters. Although, this is particular incident is just a pin prick as to what is going on in our society today, it still falls under what she is saying. I do, believe that if our own government would go back to what our founding fathers followed this country would be a much better place. Even if they wouldn’t, if families would just take it upon themselves to be more like God the Father and stand their ground with it, our government then would not have it so easy taking our rights away from us.

    I have to wonder…..put prayer and God back in schools and the “fire” of Satan just might not have such a strong ground. Who knows this young man may have chosen a different path altogether if he had just had some kind of positive guidance. Then again, he may have been raised in a God fearing home but choose to just be mean. I still say a little extra prayer and God never hurt anyone.

  6. dan on July 4th, 2012 2:08 pm

    if i had it my way i would just wait untill he had a home or something that he worked for,if he ever does and burn it to the ground for him!

  7. Henry Coe on July 4th, 2012 12:45 pm

    Edith Masters, I disagree. Not to mention this kid might come from such a home as you describe. In the best case scenario I get what you are saying, but also back in your day you had a bunch of hidden abuse going on in families or if a kid got pregnant they were hidden away some where, not to be seen and then there child given away or some horrible scenario like that.
    Like I said, I get watch you are saying and why you would say it, but just because people come from a family raised that way, doesn’t mean they won’t be crazy, violent, drunk, sexual abusers etc,,.

  8. K.B. on July 4th, 2012 12:37 pm

    Edith Masters, I believe that you have hit at the root of the problem. America is becoming too blind to see the very simple fix to our downhill slide.

  9. molino Jim on July 4th, 2012 10:56 am

    Good and fast work by the fire crews and the SO. That name rings a bell for some reason—anyone remember him from before?

  10. Edith Masters on July 4th, 2012 10:48 am

    Some of these comments reflect that “something needs to be done”, but none of you seems to know what that is. When God is removed from a family, school, city, state, country, it ALWAYS falters and fails. So many people today have no fear of doing evil, because they have not been raised in a Christ-centered,
    God-fearing home. So, you wanna do something about it? Go to church, love the Lord, let others know by your lifestyle that Christ is first and foremost in your lives. Do something….start a new trend……repent. Edie Masters, Class of 1966

  11. Shayna on July 4th, 2012 9:47 am

    This is my school. This is going to be my second year. This is the second fire that’s been reported within the last year of me GOING to this school.
    I’m not only dissapointed, but I’m worried about it. I love this school with all my heart, and I don’t understand why a person would do this. I just thank God that it was at night and there were no people there.

  12. Andre on July 4th, 2012 9:20 am

    @ Susan: the only way to affect change, is to be the change you want to see in the world. One person or entity CAN NOT change anything without the masses affecting change among themselves. So I say to you, Do Something!

  13. Susan on July 4th, 2012 9:15 am

    I just can’t understand what is wrong with these people. We have as much crime as New York and other states. It is ashamed that we have so many drug bust and shootings in this county. Something needs to be done. It is getting where it isn’t safe to get out during the day to shop.

  14. Angela on July 4th, 2012 6:45 am

    That’s ashame that someone didn’t have nothing better to do

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News