Two men have been accused of arson in separate incidents in Augusta and Athens.
Larry Doyen, 45, allegedly set a cardboard box on fire inside his Western Avenue apartment in Augusta early Monday morning, according to Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
The fire set off the sprinkler system in the 10-unit apartment building, keeping the damage to a minimum, McCausland said, adding that the other tenants still needed to spend the night elsewhere.
In the other case, Dwayne Weese, 52, allegedly set fire to a building next to his Vernal Huff Road home in Athens on Feb. 28, according to McCausland. Weese’s mother had sold the building the day before to a Standish couple, who planned to use it for a recreational camp, McCausland said.
McCausland said that the fire started in a crawl space under the building and footprints in the snow led toward Weese’s property.
The damage was minor, he said.
Doyen was taken to the Kennebec County Jail in Augusta, and Weese was taken to the Somerset County Jail in Madison. Both were expected to appear in court Monday.