Tammy Corley, 40, is suspected of holding the door blocking the escape of her husband, Billy, but he was able to get out through another door, sheriff's Lt. Robert Beauregard said.
Billy Corley was uninjured.
The Pineville incident was the second domestic dispute involving fire Wednesday.
Alexandria police arrested Fredrick Ingram, 42, after officers say he threatened to set his house on fire with his wife inside. Officers arrived before Ingram could light a fire. Ingram pushed his wife before gathering her clothing and dousing them and the house with lighter fluid, police reports state.
Ingram faces a charge of attempted arson, aggravated assault and domestic battery.
Back in Pineville, deputies said Billy Corley, 45, told officers he and his wife had gotten into an argument, and he went to sleep outside. He awakened at about 4 a.m. to see her standing outside the van with a lighter.
When officers got to the Pineville house, the van was fully engulfed. Deputies said Tammy Corley, 40, had left the house, and Billy Corley did not want to pursue charges.