House fire results in arson arrest
Published 6:15 pm Friday, April 17, 2020
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Star Photo/Delaney Scalf A Volunteer Fireman worksto put out hotspots from inside the mobile home.
Star Photo/Delaney Scalf With the aid of the wind, the fire would reignite.
Star Photo/Delaney Scalf A volunteer Fireman sprays the outside of the mobile home.
Star Photo/Delaney Scalf A fireman puts out one of the remaining visible flames.
Shane Uriah Helbert
On Friday, around 11:30 a.m., the Watauga Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to 103 Basin Road concerning a report of a mobile home fire. Upon arrival, the mobile home was fully engulfed. With the aid of Stoney Creek and Hampton-Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Departments, the fire was quickly under control and extinguished. The mobile home is a complete loss.
After an investigation by the Carter County Sheriff’s Department, deputies arrested 42-year-old Shane Uriah Helbert and charged him with aggravated arson. A witness saw him walking away from the scene of the fire shortly after emergency responders were called to the scene. Deputies arrived shortly after Helbert was spotted and took him into custody.
Deputies also spoke to the homeowner, who stated that Helbert was renting the property that burned down. The homeowner also told deputies that there was a prior history of Helbert damaging the property, and he believed Helbert was responsible for the fire. Investigators also determined the cause of the fire to be arson.
Helbert is being held in the Carter County Detention Center on a $40,000 bond.
