UPDATED: Cops Make Arson Arrest Related to House Fire in May

reported the arrest of Christopher S. Ward of East Hampton on arson charges related to two fires in East Hampton, one being a house fire in May. Detective Lt. Chris Anderson said Ward set both fires, including the house fire on Osborne Lane on May 3, where two firefighters and a fire marshal were subsequently injured looking for hotspots after the blaze had gutted the home.

It was another, more recent fire investigation that led police to Ward, who is 28. A car cover on a 1984 Porsche parked in a driveway on Miller Lane in East Hampton was ignited on Oct. 29, causing about $2,000 in damage, according to the felony complaint.

"At the Porsche car fire, there was physical evidence, and we were able to link him to that fire," Anderson explained, though he would not comment on the physical evidence.

"When looking at the Osborne Lane fire, there were several commonalities between the two fires. It compelled us to look into the house fire more," he said, noting that the Osborne Lane fire was not an active arson investigation.

As it turns out, Ward had been arrested for squatting at that house on Osborne Lane, which was vacant during the winter, in February 2010. Second-degree criminal trespassing and petty larceny charges, both misdemeanors, are still pending in .

Back in the early morning hours of May 3, a fire erupted at 62 Osborne Lane just outside of East Hampton Village. After the knocked down that fire, two firefighters and a fire marshal fell through weak floorboards or holes in the floor. They received minor injuries.

Ward has been charged with two counts of third-degree arson, which is a felony. He was arraigned before East Hampton Town Justice Catherine A. Cahill on Tuesday morning and is being held on $50,000 bail. Anderson said he didn't believe Ward would post bail -- $25,000 for each count -- and would be transferred to the Suffolk County jail in Riverside shortly.

Police said the investigation is ongoing and further criminal charges are pending. Detectives have asked that anyone with information on the two fire contact the department at 631-537-7575.

East Hampton Patch has update this story and will continue to bring you more details as they become available throughout the day.