BROWNSTOWN— Brenda Flatt, 40, of Brownstown, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on Thursday on Level 4 felony charges of arson and criminal mischief. The arrest stems from an investigation into a house fire in Clearspring earlier this year. Police say she is linked to starting two additional fires.
The investigation began on January 2, 2025, when the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department responded to a reported house fire at 3296 North Main Street in Clearspring. Scott Reynolds owned the residence, which was being rented to Flatt and her family, who were reportedly planning to purchase it on contract.
Multiple fire departments, including Brownstown, Pershing Township, and Carr Township, responded to the January 2 fire, along with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and Jackson County EMS.
On January 3, Flatt was interviewed by police and allegedly admitted to starting the fire using a lighter and paper in an upstairs bathroom. No injuries were reported in that fire.
During the interview, Flatt also reportedly confessed to setting two other fires in the previous five months at residences in the Shoals area where she and her family had been living.
Following this revelation, Brownstown Fire Chief Travis McElfresh, the incident commander at the Clearspring fire, requested the Indiana State Fire Marshal to join the investigation.
The case was then filed with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, which issued a warrant for Flatt’s arrest.
Those facing criminal charges are considered innocent unless convicted through due legal proceedings. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
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