NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A man is accused of arson after a building fire on Bishop Street in New Haven left 20 people displaced on Friday night.
Ryan Bowser, 22, was allegedly seen on surveillance footage using a green lighter to ignite a crate filled with papers in the basement of the three-story building, according to New Haven police.
New Haven firefighters responded and were able to put out the fire quickly, but the water and smoke damage displaced 20 residents.
An officer on the scene saw Bowser nearby, who was wearing the same clothes as the person in the surveillance video. The officer found a green lighter in Bowser's pocket during a search, police said.
Bowser was detained by police, and ended up damaging a dash camera and the back seat of a police cruiser, officers said.
Bowser was charged with arson, reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief.
There was one tenant that was evaluated at the hospital following the fire. There were no firefighter injuries, fire officials told FOX61 Saturday morning.
There was a second building fire on Friday night on the 900 block of State Street, not far from the Bishop Street fire. However, officials do not believe these fires are connected.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
