The father of three children who died in a tragic Mud Fork, Calhoun fire, was arrested by Kanawha authorities Saturday, the day of their funeral.
Benjamin Paul Jackson, 36 (left) is in Central Regional Jail on possession of a controlled substance, with bail set at $3,000.
Officials say 15 grams of meth, coffee filters and a smoking device was discovered on his person when he was taken to the hospital.
His mother also died in the blaze.
Jackson was released from the Cabell-Huntington Burn Center, where his brother David remains a patient.
WCHS-TV interviewed Jackson about his untimely arrest Monday, Jackson admitting he has struggled with meth addiction. Jackson told a TV reporter that meth had nothing to do with the fire.
Jackson told a WCHS-TV reporter he is still grieving and heartbroken because he couldn't say goodbye to his loved ones.
"Waking up to screams for help, Jackson picked up his 7-year-old son Ryan and ran through the flames toward the door. Seconds later, his brother, David, came running out on fire. He said when he tried to knock out a window to save his two daughters - Aryane and Patricia - Ryan ran back inside and hid under the bed. The next thing he remembers is waking up in the hospital a few days later," the WCHS-TV report says.
Jackson said he's hurt and upset by the speculation that drugs led to the fire.
When asked if there was any drug activity in the home, he said, "No, there was nothing like that around my kids."
"I wished it hadn't ended like this," Jackson said. "I wish there was something different I could have done."
Investigators say no official cause for the fire has been determined, and if they find evidence of a crime that information will be handed over to the Calhoun County Prosecutor's Office.
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