Upshur County Fire Marshal Paul Steelman explained the reasons why a Big Sandy man was recently indicted by the county grand jury on arson and attempted murder charges.

Steven Ray Morrow, 47, was indicted May 7 on attempted murder and arson charges, with bonds totalling $75,000. He was already in the Upshur County Jail on other charges.

Steelman said that about 4 a.m. April 16, a woman who lives on FM 1002 “woke up to a sound like thunder, as she described it.

“She looked outside and saw a red glow,” Steelman said. She opened the front door of her wood frame house, and found the front porch was on fire.

She and her son went to the back door and found the back porch was also on fire. She threw a pitcher of water on the fire and was able to push hard enough to move the obstacles there, and she and her son escaped.

“There was a trail of fire around the house,” Steelman said.

He said that Morrow lives next door to the woman.

“There was no clear cut motive,” Steelman said. “Evidence I collected suggests he was responsible for it.”

He said the manner in which the back porch was set up to prevent escape resulted in the attempted murder charge.

Fire fighters from Big Sandy, Pleasant Grove and Harmony Volunteer Fire Departments responded and extinguished the blaze.

The Upshur County Judicial Search web site shows that Morrow was already in custody since April 23 for theft of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, criminal mischief between $1,500 and $20,000, and assault against the elderly with intent to injure. Bonds totalled $95,000 on those charges.