He doesn't know why he did it, but he's sorry he did.

That's the statement from the attorney representing Garry Castle, the business owner who this week admitted he started the fire that gutted his business, the Shake Shoppe on South Third Street in Ironton,

March 28.

"Obviously, he made a terrible decision," attorney D.L. McWhorter said. "And he stepped forward because he didn't want this on his conscience any longer."

McWhorter said Castle is, himself, still not sure why he set the fire, but was distraught over recent acts of vandalism and threatening phone calls made to employees at the eatery.

"This put him under a lot of stress," McWhorter said.

He said that the fire was not set for any kind of personal gain, since the Shake Shoppe was doing well, financially.

McWhorter also pointed out that Castle has not filed any statement of loss or insurance claim in regards to the fire and should not face any fraud charges as a result of it.

"Mr. Castle is very apologetic about what happened,

and has expressed this to (Ironton Fire) Chief (Tom) Runyon," McWhorter said.

Runyon earlier this week said his fire fighters put their own lives at risk to fight that fire, not knowing at first that it had been set with gasoline. Some of the gasoline had not ignited and burned before the fire was put out.

Runyon said the unburned gasoline created a very

dangerous situation for the fire fighters.

"It was a small fire," McWhorter said. "The building is still standing -- and their lives would be at risk in any fire."

McWhorter said no meeting has yet been scheduled with the prosecutor's office about the fire, but expects one may take place next week.

Lawrence County Prosecutor J.B. Collier Jr. was out of town this past week and could not be reached for comment about the incident. Teresa Moore/The Ironton Tribune