Two Men Charged With Arson in Fife Lake Township House Fire

Surveillance video capturing fire accelerant purchases before a pre-dawn blaze helped Grand Traverse County investigators charge two men with second-degree arson in connection with an October house fire that destroyed a home on Vans Lane in Fife Lake Township.

The Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office announced the charges March 31, five months after the fire tore through the unoccupied residence around 6 a.m. on October 30, 2025. Investigators say much of the building was destroyed; no injuries were reported because no one was home at the time.

Ryan Patrick Lavan, 43, of Fife Lake, is among those charged. The second suspect, a 44-year-old man from Kalkaska, was already incarcerated on separate charges when the arson counts were filed. Investigators say both men were acquaintances of the last person to live in the home.

The case broke in part when investigators stopped a vehicle that had been observed driving past the fire scene multiple times. Authorities used surveillance and video evidence to establish that fire accelerants had been purchased before the blaze, linking the suspects to the scene. One suspect was found in possession of methamphetamine at the time of arrest, a detail that may factor into both the investigation's motive analysis and any subsequent proceedings.

Second-degree arson carries serious criminal penalties in Michigan. The suspects are expected to be arraigned on the charges; prosecutors will determine formal charging documents and next court dates.

The five-month timeline between the fire and the announced charges reflects the complexity of arson investigations, which often hinge on accelerant analysis, video evidence, and witness accounts rather than eyewitness testimony. The sheriff's office built its case methodically, ultimately tying the pair to the scene through surveillance footage and physical evidence recovered during the arrests.