Venice High School football coach John Peacock said a fire broke out at his Nokomis home on the evening of Oct. 26, and he believes someone set it.

The blaze started around 8:30 p.m. in a pool house attached to Peacock's main residence, first reported by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Nobody was injured. Peacock's wife and daughter were at dance practice at the time.

Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department (NVFD) Chief Patrick Junius said two fire engines and an ambulance responded. Junius told the Charlotte Sun the fire was "minor in nature" and that firefighters saw no signs of foul play.

Peacock sees it differently.

He told the Herald-Tribune his family had been worried about their safety after his home address was "shared everywhere" through news coverage. He called "the timing's really, really suspicious."

His address appeared in a Sarasota County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) affidavit that USA Today obtained Oct. 14, according to the Herald-Tribune. That affidavit stems from an SCSO investigation in September that found probable cause linking Peacock to a felony involving recorded phone conversations posted on social media.

How the fire unfolded

Peacock said he was getting ready to watch Monday Night Football when he walked into his living room and spotted a glow outside. He described flames reaching roughly 20 feet high at the pool house, which he also called a "fish house" used for storage.

He called 911 and grabbed a drink cooler near the pool, filled it with water and doused the flames. The NVFD arrived about five minutes after the call, Peacock said. He said he had the fire partly under control by then.

Peacock and his family could not reenter the home until about 11:30 p.m. because of smoke that had spread inside, according to the Herald-Tribune. The fire did not force the family from their home permanently, the Sun reported.

Peacock's public accusation

On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Peacock posted photos of the damage on X. He wrote that his house had caught fire and that he was lucky to have noticed before the entire house burned down. He ended the post with a hashtag reading "I KNOW IT WAS YOU" in all caps.

Asked by the Sun whether the hashtag was written in jest, Peacock said, "It was serious."

When asked why he posted at all, Peacock told the Sun: "… Everyone seems to know everything else about my life, like where I live."

Peacock told the Herald-Tribune he believes the fire started from outside the structure. "I'm not a fire expert but I could tell it started from outside," he said.

What happens next

The fire department had not determined a cause as of Oct. 27. Peacock told the Herald-Tribune an investigator was supposed to examine the property on Tuesday, but because the damage was limited, that inspection "might not even take place."

Peacock said he has not taken extra security measures beyond a ring camera. The 20-year Venice head coach holds a 200-48 career record with three state championships, according to the Herald-Tribune.