An aspiring weatherman in eastern Kentucky has been arrested after admitting he intentionally set a fire to bring attention to his Facebook videos, police said.
Johnny Mullins, 21, faces a charge of second-degree arson for a blaze in Letcher County, Jenkins Police Chief James Stephens told The Associated Press on Friday. The Jenkins Police Department could not be reached by NBC News on Saturday.
Mullins posted selfie videos on Facebook that were recorded in front of various fires, Stephens said. He called them "Weather Outlook" segments and got 2,900 views on his final video, posted on Nov. 6, in which he warned eastern Kentucky residents, "Be extremely careful if you're out there," according to Stephens.
Mullins was charged earlier this week after he told police he started the fire "because he enjoyed the attention he got from the Facebook stuff,"
Aspiring Weatherman Arrested for Setting Fire to Draw Facebook Views: Police - NBC News
Friday morning new restrictions on smoking, campfires and other potential fire hazards went into effect along the Kentucky-Tennessee border, the Associated Press reports. Fireworks will be prohibited and stoves, lanterns and heating devices will be limited. Campfires are only permitted in designated campgrounds and picnic areas where metal fire rings and grills are provided.
Smoking is permitted only in vehicles, buildings or developed recreations sites, or areas cleared at least three feet away from flammable materials.
https://weather.com/news/news/southeast-wildfires
Johnny Mullins, 21, faces a charge of second-degree arson for a blaze in Letcher County, Jenkins Police Chief James Stephens told The Associated Press on Friday. The Jenkins Police Department could not be reached by NBC News on Saturday.
Mullins posted selfie videos on Facebook that were recorded in front of various fires, Stephens said. He called them "Weather Outlook" segments and got 2,900 views on his final video, posted on Nov. 6, in which he warned eastern Kentucky residents, "Be extremely careful if you're out there," according to Stephens.
Mullins was charged earlier this week after he told police he started the fire "because he enjoyed the attention he got from the Facebook stuff,"
Aspiring Weatherman Arrested for Setting Fire to Draw Facebook Views: Police - NBC News
Friday morning new restrictions on smoking, campfires and other potential fire hazards went into effect along the Kentucky-Tennessee border, the Associated Press reports. Fireworks will be prohibited and stoves, lanterns and heating devices will be limited. Campfires are only permitted in designated campgrounds and picnic areas where metal fire rings and grills are provided.
Smoking is permitted only in vehicles, buildings or developed recreations sites, or areas cleared at least three feet away from flammable materials.
https://weather.com/news/news/southeast-wildfires