Police said an anonymous tip led detectives to a Facebook Live video and a later admission.

CLEARWATER, Fla. — A 55-year-old Clearwater woman is accused of setting fire to a shed where her boyfriend sometimes slept after making threats online and telling others she was angry about an alleged theft, police said.

Heather Jo England faces a first-degree arson charge in the March 23 fire at 100 Devon Drive in Clearwater Beach. The case now turns on several pieces of evidence described by police: a Facebook Live video, a neighbor’s camera, an account from a dog park acquaintance and England’s alleged statement after her arrest. No injuries were reported, and firefighters said quick work kept damage from spreading deeper into the home.

The fire was reported around 8 p.m. March 23, when Clearwater Fire and Rescue crews were sent to the Devon Drive property. Firefighters found that the flames had started in a shed outside the house. The department later said the blaze began away from the main residence and that crews were able to limit the impact on the home. The address became the center of an arson investigation after police said they learned the fire may not have been accidental. Investigators later said the property belonged to the boyfriend’s grandmother, not England’s boyfriend, though the man was known to sleep in the shed. Police said that detail mattered because the fire was set in the exact area tied to him.

Detectives identified England after receiving an anonymous tip, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit described by police. The tipster directed investigators to a Facebook Live video in which England allegedly made statements about burning the residence. In the affidavit, police said England stated that she would “huff and puff and blow his house down.” Investigators treated the video as a statement of intent, then compared it with other records from the night of the fire. Police said they reviewed surveillance video from a neighbor’s camera that placed England’s vehicle at the home about 41 seconds before an officer reported the fire. The affidavit said the vehicle was seen leaving the area moments before the flames were discovered.

Police said the investigation also included an account from an acquaintance who spoke with England at a dog park. That person told officers England admitted setting the fire because she was angry that her boyfriend had stolen from her, according to the affidavit. Investigators have not publicly detailed what item or items she believed had been taken, whether any theft report had been filed, or whether police found evidence to support the theft claim. Authorities have also not released the boyfriend’s name or said whether he was at the property when the fire began. The grandmother who owned the home has not been publicly identified in reports on the case.

After England was taken into custody, police said she made an admission following a Miranda warning. The affidavit said she told officers she used a green camping-style propane tank with a torch attachment to start the fire. Police said she described setting a camping cot on fire inside the shed. That account gave investigators a direct link between the suspected ignition source and the place where the fire started. Authorities did not say whether the propane tank, torch attachment or cot were recovered. They also did not release an estimate of the damage to the shed or the home, and no public report described whether any pets, vehicles or nearby homes were threatened by the fire.

The charge against England is first-degree arson, a serious felony allegation under Florida law. Police and prosecutors have not publicly announced a full charging narrative beyond the arrest affidavit details reported in the case. England was taken to the Pinellas County Jail, where reports said she was held on a $150,000 bond after her arrest. Her next court date had not been listed in the initial reports. Court records and jail records may later clarify whether she enters a plea, whether prosecutors file additional counts, and whether a judge changes her release conditions.

The case unfolded in a residential part of Clearwater Beach, where a fire outside a home can quickly draw a large emergency response. The shed’s use as a sleeping space added a human-risk element to the investigation, even though no injuries were reported. Fire officials said the quick response kept the main residence from suffering greater damage. Police described the alleged Facebook Live statement and the dog park admission as separate accounts that pointed to motive and intent. The words attributed to England stood out because they were made before the fire, according to investigators, and because the fire later began at the place tied to the boyfriend.

Several questions remained unanswered after the arrest. Authorities did not say who made the anonymous tip, how long after the fire the tip came in, or whether investigators downloaded and preserved the full Facebook Live video. Police also did not say whether the neighbor’s footage showed England herself or only a vehicle connected to her. The affidavit details reported so far do not describe a 911 call from the home, the first officer’s arrival, or the full fire marshal findings. Those records could become part of the court file if the case moves toward a hearing.

Investigators said the March 23 fire began in the shed at 100 Devon Drive, and the public record stood at a first-degree arson charge, a $150,000 bond and no listed next court date. England remained accused, not convicted, as the case awaited its next listed court step.

Author note: Last updated May 25, 2026.