BELFAST — A Troy man accused of setting fire to his own vehicle is due to appear in Waldo County Unified Court Feb. 16. 

Douglas Knowlton, 59, of Troy, was arrested Jan. 11 in connection with a March 2020 vehicle fire and subsequent insurance claim. 

In an affidavit and request for an arrest warrant, Officer Jeremy R. Damren, a senior investigator with the Office of Maine State Fire Marshal, laid out how he came to have probable cause to believe that Knowlton had committed the offenses of arson and attempted theft by insurance deception.

The potential crime was reported March 25, when Troy Fire Chief Dan Nealley called Officer Damren to report a vehicle fire he had responded to the day before. The 2010 Ford pick-up, which was still driveable following the fire, was owned by Knowlton and driven from the scene to his home.

According to the affidavit, by the time Nealley arrived at the scene, the fire had been extinguished with the use of snow. Nealley reportedly observed a burned rag on the ground near the fire, with Knowlton explaining that he must have picked it up going down the road. 

On April 7, Nealley called Damren to report that he had just been notified that Douglas Knowlton had put in a fire claim with his insurance company. When Damren spoke with the insurance agent in charge of the case, he was reportedly told that the case was being referred to their special investigation unit, the affidavit states. 

The investigation revealed burned pieces of paper in the engine compartment of the vehicle, on top of the transmission. After additional research, Damren learned that the average temperature of a truck transmission is approximately 175 degrees, though if overheated it can run around 200 degrees. Regular paper ignites at a temperature of 400 degrees, Damren wrote. 

On April 20, Damren learned that Knowlton had called his insurance agency to discuss a rental car, and was told a fire expert was being dispatched to inspect the vehicle. According to the affidavit, Knowlton then said he wanted to cancel his claim and pick up his vehicle. 

The same day, Damren traveled to where the car had been initially inspected and learned that the paper in question was newspaper, and that “crunched up” newspaper was found in the engine compartment up against a coolant line and fuel line. When Damren asked whether a fire would be enough to breach a fuel line, he was told it was. 

Damren and other investigators from the Office of State Fire Marshal executed a search warrant at the Maine State Police Garage April 22, where Damren determined that the origin of the fire was in the hood compartment, according to the affidavit. Further examination revealed that the fire had been set while the hood was in an open position. 

The value of the vehicle was estimated to be $6,175 to $8,842. 

The affidavit concludes with Damren writing, “[I] can definitively say [that] if Knowlton was driving down the road and a fire originated, the windshield washer fluid hose would have melted and as noted in the [included] photo, the hose is intact.” 

Knowlton was released on $500 cash bail shortly after his arrest. As a part of his conditions of release, Knowlton is prohibited from using or possessing incendiary devices. Knowlton is also subject to random searches for incendiary devices.

Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com