A Richland Parish Ward 1 firefighter admitted to starting a fire inside his mobile home telling officials he wanted to end his wife's life and suffering from a disability.
Officials said Kenneth Fulford, 53, started a fire in the closet of his Delhi mobile home early on April 16.
The Louisiana State Fire Marshal's office said Fulford faces attempted first-degree murder following his admission to investigators, according to NOLA.com. He also faces three counts of aggravated arson, arson with the intent to defraud, aggravated cruelty to persons with infirmities and aggravated cruelty to animals.
Fulford's wife told investigators that they were sitting on the couch around 12:45 a.m. when she smelled smoke.
She asked him to check for the source of the smoke and he insisted nothing was burning.
After exiting the house, Fulford yelled inside to his wife that the home was on fire and that she needed to escape. He did not re-enter the home.
"He did not make any attempt to go inside and physically assist her, knowing that she was going to be moving slowly due to her medical disability," said Ashley Rodrigue, a spokeswoman for the fire marshal's office. "She had also taken her medication, which often makes her drowsy and disoriented. he knew all of those things."
Rodrigue said the wife, 44, was able to escape on her own, but she suffered third-degree burns. Her service dog perished in the fire.
Fulford used his fire department radio to call for help and after questioning him about the fire, Fulford admitted to starting the fire.
Investigators determined that this was the third time Fulford, a volunteer firefighter for 15 years, set fire to a residence with his wife.
His wife was home for both fires, in 2013 and 2015, and no injuries were reported.
Fulford also admitted to setting his truck on fire in 2016.
He told investigators that he "sets fires and doesn't know why,"
