Landlord sets home ablaze while playing ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire,’ Minnesota cops say

The landlord of a Minnesota apartment complex is accused of setting his building on fire while playing the iconic Billy Joel song “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Minnesota cops say.

But according to St. Louis County officials, Travis Lee Carlson did start the fire. The 37-year-old man was charged with first-degree arson following the blaze on May 18, court records show.

When first responders arrived to the Duluth home for a report of a fire, they heard “We Didn’t Start the Fire” coming from Carlson’s upstairs apartment, police said.

The downstairs tenant told officers he woke up to the sound of Carlson “smashing glass and breaking things,” which continued for about 20 minutes, according to the statement of probable cause.

Carlson then knocked on the downstairs tenant’s door, telling him, “The house is on fire,” police said.

A neighbor, who police said saw Carlson smashing his own windows, observed a “flash like a fireball” come from his apartment, court records show.

Carlson allegedly drilled a hole in the gas tank of his truck, and lids of gas cans were found next to the vehicle, police said.

“There were numerous areas in the upstairs apartment that had green liquid lines from a burned accelerant staining several pieces of furniture, flooring and walls,” according to police.

Carlson was arrested the following day, police said. He had burn injuries on his arms and legs.

This story was originally published May 24, 2023 at 12:52 PM with the headline "Landlord sets home ablaze while playing ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire,’ Minnesota cops say."