TOWN OF HUTCHINS, WI – The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department has reason to believe that a house fire in the Town of Hutchins last week was intentional and have taken a former firefighter into custody.
Emergency officials were called to the fire around 4:45 pm on January 29.
37-year-old Bryan Wendler of Mattoon and 34-year-Corey Welch of Mattoon were both arrested as suspects. Welch resigned from the Mattoon fire department in January.
A K9 was used during an examination of the scene and the K9 alerted to the presence of accelerants.
The investigation determined that diesel fuel was allegedly brought to the property by the men and used to start the property on fire. The report indicates that both men went to the property to locate hidden gold nuggets that totaled $20,000 dollars in value.
According to the Police Report, the nuggets said to be hidden by the previous owner, were never found, so they allegedly set the property on fire.
Police reports also indicate that Welch called 911 to report the fire and drove a Mattoon fire truck to the scene without consent.
Both men are facing multiple charges, including Arson, Burglary, Recklessly endangering safety, and Felony Bail jumping.
The Shawano Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Department of Justice Criminal Investigation Division and the Fire Marshall’s Office.
