BELLE — Maries County Sheriff Chris Heitman said multiple charges — on multiple people — are pending for allegedly setting fire to the Belle residence of Chad Faulkner.

Heitman said the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office is still investigating at this time.

“I do anticipate multiple charges being filed on more than one individual,” Heitman said Monday afternoon. “At this time, nothing has been submitted formally for criminal charges to the Maries County prosecutor.”

Faulkner, his fiance Hanna Perez, and their children live in the 11000 block of West Parkview in Belle. The 2-year-old residence is a total loss, according to Fire Chief Dwight Francis of the Belle Fire Protection District.

Francis said a passer-by called the fire into dispatch at 10:52 p.m. Dec. 19 when they saw fire and smoke coming from the residence located near the Belle City Park. When the Belle Fire Department arrived, the house was fully engulfed.

“No one was home,” Francis reported, as the family has be out-of-town on vacation since sometime last weekend. Francis didn’t think Faulkner and Perez were due home until Saturday sometime (Dec. 21).

“It burnt so fast, it kind of burnt itself out,” Francis said on the following day, Dec. 20. “The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating. They were here at 11:30 p.m. last night.”

Francis said cause of the fire was still unknown as of Friday afternoon and Heitman had no comment on the cause Monday afternoon.

Faulkner, who serves as a volunteer deputy for the Maries County Sheriff’s Department, was in Mexico on a vacation at the time of the fire. Heitman was also in Mexico on duty for the Missouri Sheriff’s Dive Team.

Faulkner, who was a volunteer deputy with the Maries County Sheriff’s Department, resigned Sunday, according to Heitman.