KIMBERLY, W.Va. — A Fayette County man is in custody charged with arson and murder in connection with the fire that claimed the life of Fayette County Forester Cody Mullens.
Fayette County Sheriff Mike Fridley announced late Friday night that David Bass, 39, of Kimberly, had been arrested and charged with four counts of felony wildland arson and one count of felony murder.
It’s alleged Bass set the forest fire in the Tucker Hollow area of Powellton on Tuesday. The fire grew to several hundred acres and on Thursday, while fighting the blaze in the Armstrong Creek area, Mullens, 28, of Mount Hope, was struck by a falling tree. He died a short time later.
Fridley said once the fire was determined to be arson investigators with the sheriff’s department, Division of Forestry and state Fire Marshal’s Office began an investigation that led them to Bass.
Bass was booked in the Southern Regional Jail Friday night.
Fridley said Mullens was brave and honorable “who was and will always be a hero.”
A procession taking Mullens’ body from the state Medical Examiner’s Office in Charleston to Summersville will take place Saturday via U.S. Route 60 to Route 19.
Mullens’ death is believed to be the first on-duty fire-related death in the history of the state Division of Forestry.