HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Harrisburg man who was seriously injured in a Dauphin County brush fire earlier this month has been charged with arson and related offenses after police say their investigation determined he started the blaze.
The fire, which was reported on November 8 on Blue Mountain, required more than 70 firefighters from 23 fire departments to extinguish, according to Lower Paxton Township Police.
Officers responding to the fire, which began on the mountain above the intersection of Autumn Oaks Drive and Box Elder Court, found Malcom Kellogg at the scene. He was suffering from severe burns to his upper body and was transported to a local hospital for treatment, police said.
An investigation of the fire determined Kellogg was the person who started it, according to police.
Kellogg had recently been cited for illegally dumping trash at the location where the fire began, police said. He had been directed by authorities to remove the trash he'd dumped there.
Instead of removing it, police claim, Kellogg lit the pile of trash on fire.
The fire quickly spread and became out of control, endangering nearby houses and residents while consuming more than six acres of land, according to police.
Kellogg is charged with felony counts of arson (endangering persons), arson (endangering property), and risking catastrophe on Nov. 13, police said.
Kellogg is still being treated for his injuries in a local hospital and will be arraigned at a preliminary hearing at a future date, according to police.
