LAKE HAVASU CITY – A Lake Havasu City man told police he set fire to his bedroom to smoke people out of the attic space of his residence in the 100 block of Tema Drive. A police report said Michael Shick, 26, had burns on his face when contacted by police who responded to the residential structure fire at 12:56 a.m. on December 21.
The report said Shick offered conflicting explanations when asked how the fire started.
“He then stated he was drunk and mentioned he might have been playing with a blowtorch,” according to the police narrative. It said a lighter was discovered on a scorched bed in Shick’s bedroom and that other points of fire origin included a bedroom closet and the living room.
“He stated he started a fire in the closet of the master bedroom with clothes because there was a hole leading to the attic,’’ the police report said. “He stated he thought the smoke would push the people out, but the fire got out of hand.”
Shick was arrested for arson of an occupied structure and four counts of endangerment. No one else was injured in the fire.
