An investigation by into a motel fire last year in Bloomington Springs has resulted in a 25 year prison sentence for a Sparta man.  Jacob Steven Flatt (DOB: 06/10/2001)pleaded guilty to vandalism and received the maximum sentence for the charge.

On May 13, 2022, TBI fire investigators joined the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and Jackson County Central Volunteer Fire Department in investigating a structure fire that occurred at the Highway 56 Motel on S. Grundy Quarles Highway. Jackson County Emergency Communications received a 911 call at approximately 3:21 A.M. Upon arrival at the scene, fire units confirmed the structural fire and that the structure was 40% involved. All occupants of the motel were out of the building and the fire was controlled at approximately 5:47 A.M.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) was contacted by Jackson County Fire Chief, Jeff Conn, for assistance investigating this fire. The TBI Accelerant Detection Canine (ADC) team was deployed onto the scene where it was found that there was extensive damage. TBI Fire Investigator Billy Deering interviewed the resident caretaker, Brian Russell, who lived in an apartment in the motel. The Russell reported he was asleep and awakened by a person banging on his door shouting “Let me in”. Russell recognized this person as Flatt, who was not a resident of the motel but loitered frequently on the premises. Russell told him to go away and fell back asleep. He was awakened again by the feeling of heat against his face and smoke filling his room. He exited the building where he found Flatt sitting in the parking lot and he observed burning on the rear of the building.

Further investigation revealed that Flatt had set the fire intentionally. On April 19, 2023, Flatt was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on a $150,000 bond. The case was set for trial before Flatt agreed to accept the 25 year sentence, which resulted in dismissal of other charges stemming from the same event.