A Gloucester man has found himself in handcuffs after a spree of dumpster blazes last night, as local firefighters hustled to quell multiple trash fires across the city. Bruce Nichols, 37, is facing charges for his alleged role in the fires, which spurred a robust response from city emergency services.
Officials say the first call came at around 9:20 p.m. with reports of a fire at 50 Bass Avenue, Boston 25 News reports. Nichols, who was taken into custody by Gloucester Police, has been accused of igniting the sequence of fires, which were all rapidly extinguished by firefighters. The conflagrations were located in large metal trash bins at several key intersections including Rogers Street, Main Street, and near the Harbor Loop.
No injuries have been reported in the blazes, and while Nichols has been arrested, he was promptly held without bail at a hearing today, as cited by authorities. According to a statement obtained by NBC Boston, it's currently unclear whether Nichols has legal representation to address the accusations.
Both state and local police forces are probing deeper into the incidents, and officials have hinted at the potential for additional charges to be laid down as the investigation continues. "The fires remain under investigation by Gloucester Police and the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit," Boston 25 News indicates.
