Stephen Jones

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

A Washington County firebug is behind bars after investigators say he intentionally set multiple fires inside his Potomac Towers apartment, forcing the evacuation of nearly 200 residents and injuring a firefighter.

According to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, 33-year-old Stephen Jones was arrested after an investigation revealed he set several fires inside his apartment on the eighth floor of the 14-story complex on West Baltimore Street.

The fire broke out just after 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26, when the Hagerstown Fire Department was dispatched for an automatic alarm at the 326-unit high-rise. 

Firefighters were then told smoke was spreading throughout the building and upgraded the call to an apartment fire, bringing in multiple departments from the area.

Because the fire was on an upper floor, firefighters used the building’s standpipe system to reach it quickly and got it under control within minutes. 

However, heavy smoke conditions filled the upper levels, where many residents are elderly or have limited mobility, the Fire Marshal’s Office said.

Crews began a massive evacuation and shelter-in-place operation, assisting residents throughout the 14-story building.

Investigators said Jones was rescued from the balcony of his apartment and taken to Meritus Medical Center by Community Rescue Service.

Deputy State Fire Marshals later determined Jones had intentionally set multiple fires within his apartment and moved his refrigerator, placing it on its side behind the front door to block firefighters from getting in while the unit burned.

“Any fire in a high-rise building is dangerous, but intentionally setting multiple fires where many residents are elderly or mobility-restricted could have resulted in a catastrophic loss of life,” acting State Fire Marshal Jason Mowbray said.

After his release from the hospital on Tuesday, Nov. 4, Jones was taken into custody and transported to the Washington County Central Detention Center, where he was charged with:

First-degree arson;

First-degree malicious burning;

Reckless endangerment. 

He is currently being held without bond, officials said.

Mowbray credited the quick actions of the Hagerstown Fire Department for preventing possible tragedy.

“Hagerstown Fire Department has trained extensively for high-rise fires, and their quick, professional actions ensured residents were evacuated — a clear example of how their training saves lives,” Mowbray said.

The building, owned by the Hagerstown Housing Authority, provides housing for residents aged 55 and older or those living with disabilities. 

The blaze caused an estimated $300,000 in damage, the Fire Marshal’s Office said.

Residents displaced by the fire were temporarily sheltered in the building’s community room with help from the American Red Cross. 

Everyone except those from the damaged apartments was allowed to return later that evening.