A Standish man has been arrested and charged with intentionally setting two fires at his own home last month, including a blaze that destroyed an attached garage, according to the Office of State Fire Marshal.
Timothy Nickels, 42, of Standish, was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with two counts of arson and one count of failure to report a fire.
Fire Marshal investigators met with Nickels at approximately 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, following his release from a local hospital, where authorities said he had been undergoing an evaluation.
Nickels was taken into custody and transported to the Cumberland County Jail, where he remained following his arrest.
The charges stem from two fires reported less than eight hours apart at Nickels’ residence on River Meadows Drive in Standish on July 22 and July 23.
The first fire was reported at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22. Authorities described that blaze as relatively small and said it was contained to the garage area.
Firefighters were called back to the property just before 5 a.m. the following morning after a second fire broke out.
The second blaze was significantly more destructive, destroying the garage attached to the home and extending into a portion of the residence.
No injuries were reported in either fire.
Investigators with the Office of State Fire Marshal responded after the incidents to determine the origin and cause of the fires. Authorities have since determined that both fires were intentionally set.
Nickels now faces two felony arson charges connected with the incidents, along with the charge of failing to report a fire.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed what they believe motivated the fires or provided additional details about the circumstances leading up to them.
The investigation remains ongoing, according to the Office of State Fire Marshal.
