Siegel Set House Fire On Caton Farm, Arson Charge Filed: Glasgow

CREST HILL — Zachary Siegel, a 41-year-old Crest Hill resident, has been charged with the felony crime of arson by the Will County State's Attorney's Office in connection with last May's house fire that was seen by tens of thousands of people across the Joliet area skyline.

According to the criminal complaint from Crest Hill Detective Joel Steen, Siegel is accused of using fire or explosives on May 10, 2024, to defraud an insurer, Allstate, by damaging the house and its contents at 1231 Caton Farm Road. The fire damage was estimated at $150,000 to $200,000, according to Lockport Township Fire.

Joliet Patch reported last year that the fire broke out around 7:20 p.m.

According to Lockport Township Fire District then-deputy fire chief Frank Blaskey, fire companies arrived to find a vacant two-story single-family house with heavy fire showing. The fire caused the majority of the house to collapse and damaged the detached garage along with some vehicles in the rear.

Companies were on the scene approximately three and a half hours working to extinguish spot fires in the collapsed debris. The house was being rehabbed but unoccupied at the time of the fire, officials said at the time. The fire mutual aid assistance to the scene from Plainfield and Romeoville fire departments.

Court records indicate that Siegel, who lives in the 2400 block of Hacker Drive in Crest Hill, has retained downtown Joliet criminal defense attorney Chuck Bretz.

Siegel is on the court docket for a hearing on Thursday morning in Courtroom 405. He has not been booked into the Will County Jail in connection with his arson charge.

A warrant for his arrest was issued on Monday by Will County Judge Art Smigielski.

Bretz told Joliet Patch on Wednesday evening that Siegel voluntarily appeared before Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak this week, and the judge agreed to quash the arrest warrant. "He did voluntarily turn himself in," Bretz told Patch.

Bretz and Siegel will be in court on Thursday morning for a status hearing on the arson charge. As of now, Bretz said the prosecutors have not turned over all the police and fire reports related to the case.

"We intend to vigorously defend against this charge, and we believe the evidence will ultimately show he is not guilty of this offense," Bretz said of Zachary Siegel.