Man charged with arson following garage fire in Port Hope

A Port Hope man faces arson and other charges following a garage fire in the town’s east end on Tuesday afternoon.

Police and firefighters were called to a residence around 3 p.m. after an occupant in the single-family dwelling discovered a fire in the garage.

“Neighbours assisted in attempting to extinguish the fire,” Port Hope police said. “Fire officials arrived on scene and the fire was extinguished with damage contained to the garage area.”

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Police and firefighters, along with a forensic identification officer, launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.

The Port Hope Police Service issued a zone alert for a man who had been involved in an argument with family members and allegedly uttered threats. He left the scene prior to the fire commencing, police said.

Peterborough Police located the suspect around 9 p.m. and he was transferred to the Port Hope Police Service station.

The man is charged with arson with disregard for human life, uttering threats and failure to comply with a probation order.

He was held in custody for a court appearance on Wednesday.

His name was not released.