Louisville arson investigators say man killed in Fairdale fire set blaze intentionally

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The man killed in a fire at a home in Fairdale intentionally started the blaze and prevented a woman from escaping, leaving her with severe injuries, according to arson investigators.

Fire crews with the Fairdale and Okolona fire departments responded to the fire just after 5 p.m. Sunday evening in the 10800 block of June Drive.

Louisville Metro Police officers were called to assist for "trouble on scene," according to department spokesperson Aaron Ellis.

Investigators said Monday that one man died and a woman was critically hurt, but little was known about what happened to them.

"We just heard commotion going on," neighbor Gina Henley said. "It's unusual to hear it, so we stepped outside to see what it was and we see fire trucks and not just one, it becomes a lot more and then ambulances. We're like, 'what the heck, this is crazy.'"

Louisville Metro Arson took over the investigation.

In an update Monday evening, Capt. Donovan Sims, with the Louisville Fire Department, said multiple 911 calls "reported a domestic situation involving a barricaded subject in the residence while the house was on fire."

Crews reported seeing smoke coming from the home and found a working fire on the second floor once they got inside, Sims said. Firefighters and officers rescued the man and the woman from the second floor. They were taken to University of Louisville Hospital where the man died. The woman suffered severe injuries and remains at the hospital in critical condition.

"I saw a Facebook post and I was really surprised when I found out how close it was to us because we didn't hear anything," neighbor Paul Cox said. "We never smelled smoke, nothing."

Sims said neither the man or the woman were the owners of the home. Family members identified the man to WDRB News as Matthew Hodge.

Arson investigators later determined the case of the fire to be incendiary, meaning it was set intentionally. Sims said the fire happened during a domestic dispute between the man and the woman. Witnesses told investigators the man set the fire on purpose and "prevented the female victim from exiting the structure."

Sims said at this time it is believed "all parties have been accounted for" in the investigation.

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