Police say Iowa City man burned after setting 'reckless' fire

After being hospitalized in January for burns, an Iowa City man is now in the Johnson County Jail on suspicion of lighting the fire that engulfed his body and endangered people and property in his neighborhood.

Daryl Anthony Goolsby, 34, faces a charge of reckless use of fire and explosives, a serious misdemeanor, after Iowa City police say they were called to his home, 2300 Hollywood Blvd., about 5 p.m. Jan. 3, according to a criminal complaint. Goolsby had called 911 to report he had burned himself with a gasoline fire, according to police.

He told police, according to the complaint, that he was trying to burn paperwork in his back yard to keep his wife from finding it. Goolsby said he held a bowl containing the flaming paperwork in one hand while he added more gasoline to the fire with the other hand, police reported.

The result was a “large ball of flame” that engulfed Goolsby.

“The defendant's reckless use of fire caused burns to the defendant requiring hospitalization and soot marks on the siding of the house,” according to the police report.

No one else was home at the time, and Goolsby admitted “his actions were stupid,” police reported.

Goolsby told police he lived at the Hollywood Boulevard home but is not on the lease. According to the Johnson County Assessor's Office, the property deed is held by RL Rentals LLC.

Goolsby was booked into the Johnson County Jail just after midnight Tuesday. He was still in jail about 10 a.m.

He has a lengthy criminal history that includes felony domestic assault and drug charges.