New Bedford fire set intentionally, 1 man arrested

September 29, 2017 11:32 am

By: Chloe Leshner

cleshner@abc6.com

@cleshnerabc6

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — A man is in custody after police say he intentionally set fire to a home in New Bedford last night. Officials tell ABC6, when they got here last night, they knew the fire had been set with accelerants.

A fire intentionally set to a house on Tallman Street, damaging 3 of the 6 apartments inside. Firefighters keeping a close eye on the house for more than 12 hours after the 3 alarm fire broke out.
"At the height of the fire we had 7 engine companies and 2 ladder companies fighting the fire," Says Deputy Chief Jeff Gauthier with the New Bedford Fire Department.

Crews responded around 7:20 Thursday night. The fire was started in the stairwell and flames quickly engulfed the back of the house. Firefighters couldn’t even get inside to attack the flames and had to spray neighboring houses to keep them from spreading. Today the siding on the house next door is warped from the heat.
"The whole side of the house was in flames and then when I got even closer to the back of the house, I could feel the heat from the fire," says Julio Orozco, a neighbor.

Fire filled the stairwells trapping 1 man inside. He had to climb through a skylight to the roof where firefighters rescued him.
"I didn’t think he was going to get off in time because the fire was coming up so quick from the back. I didn’t think he was going to make it," says Poncho Smith who lives across the street.
"I thought everyone was lying then I saw him up there and everyone was screaming get him down. The Fire Department acted real quick and got him down fast, that was good," adds Orozco.

No word yet on the motive behind the fire or the relationship between the suspect and any of the people who live here.