Winchester Man Accused of Setting His Own House on Fire to Collect Insurance Money

 WINCHESTER, INDIANA — A 29-year-old man from Winchester has been arrested after allegedly setting his house on fire in an attempt to collect insurance money to pay off credit card debt.

Travis Clark reportedly walked into the Winchester Police Department on October 27 and told officers he wanted to “confess to a crime.” According to court records, Clark admitted to intentionally starting a fire at his home in late September.

Clark told investigators that he had been “stressed and pissed off” about his financial situation and believed that causing the fire would allow him to receive an insurance payout to clear his debts.

Police say Clark admitted to igniting the fire in his laundry room before leaving for work. He also claimed that he had attempted a similar scheme three years earlier, but the fire at that time was not investigated by insurance.

Court documents state that Clark also used his phone to search “how to start a fire” and later tried to make the damage appear more convincing by torching electrical wiring after speaking with an insurance adjuster.

Following his confession, Clark was arrested and charged with one count of arson. He later posted $1,000 bond and was released from custody.

He is expected to return to court for a pretrial conference on February 2, 2026, with a jury trial scheduled for April 8, 2026.