HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – An Evansville man arrested earlier this year following an investigation into an intentionally set house fire has been sentenced.
The Evansville Fire Department (EFD) says Joshua Eugene Vailes, 36, entered into a plea agreement on charges of Level 4 Felony Arson and Level 4 Felony Attempted Arson and was sentenced to a total of six years. Vailes was arrested following a six-week investigation into a December 18, 2025 fire in the 1800 block of North Evans Avenue in Evansville.
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According to the EFD, this case also marks an important milestone for EFD’s Fire Investigation Bureau. It is the first case led by EFD investigators from the initial dispatch through the criminal investigation and ultimately to working with prosecutors toward a plea agreement. That ability reflects the expanded capabilities of having fire investigators with dual fire and law enforcement authority to see a case through from the fire scene into the criminal justice process.
Firefighters say the case also holds special significance as one of the first worked by K-9 Indie following the launch of EFD’s Ignitable Liquid Detection K-9 program. Indie provides investigators with another highly specialized tool to identify potential evidence at fire scenes and help hold those responsible for intentionally set fires accountable…