Content warning: This article describes intimate partner violence. Please take care while reading.
A disturbing domestic violence incident in Sylva, North Carolina, ended in flames when police say Patrick Tyson, 56, set his girlfriend on fire after she refused to fetch him a beer at 7am.
According to investigators, the confrontation began early on the morning of November 21, 2025, at a home on Chipper Curve Road in Sylva, outside Asheville. Tyson reportedly became enraged, grabbed a bottle of isopropyl alcohol, and threatened to kill his partner if she did not comply with his beer request. Authorities say he poured the flammable liquid on the floor, the couch, and the woman, then ignited it with a cigarette lighter.
She escaped major injuries — the house? Not so lucky
The blaze quickly spread, setting the couch ablaze and scorching the woman’s shirt. Miraculously, she did not suffer serious injuries, according to police and fire officials, though her shirt was burned off her body.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and extinguished the fire, but the home suffered significant damage: the carpet was burned, the couch charred, and the stove was shattered after Tyson allegedly hurled an object during the altercation. Smoke damage spread throughout the residence.
Once in custody, prosecutors charged Tyson with felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, first-degree arson, misdemeanor assault on a female, and misdemeanor injury to personal property. After his arrest, Tyson was booked into Jackson County Jail under a $750,000 secured bond. His first court date is scheduled for December 1, 2025.
A disturbing trend
The Sylva case is just one of many similar domestic incidents recently involving flammable liquids and fire that have occurred across the United States in 2025. Tragically, these events highlight a dangerous pattern of violence where disputes quickly escalate into life-threatening acts of arson and assault.
Also in November 2025, one such shocking incident took place in Chicago, Illinois, where a disagreement on a Blue Line train led to horrific violence. A man allegedly poured gasoline on a 26-year-old woman and ignited it, causing her to suffer severe burns.
Furthermore, these crimes often prove fatal. In DeKalb County, Georgia, a few months earlier, an ex-boyfriend was arrested for murder and arson after he allegedly set his former partner’s apartment ablaze, killing her and seriously injuring her son, who desperately jumped from a window to escape the flames.
Similarly, a case in Springfield, Oregon, in July that same year saw a domestic dispute end when a husband poured gasoline inside their shared home, fired a gun, and started a fire, ultimately dying in the blaze himself. These parallel events show that the use of fire as a weapon is a recurring, lethal tactic in domestic confrontations nationwide.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, immediate help is available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers confidential support 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233 or through their website at thehotline.org.
