A Midway man is facing arson and catastrophe charges after police say he intentionally set fire to a residence on South Main Street early Saturday, just hours after officers had responded to a loud domestic dispute at the same address. Michael Higgins was taken into custody near the intersection of Noblestown Road and Johns Avenue, and a firefighter later handed police a dog that had been trapped inside the burning house.
According to Newport Dispatch, Smith Township Police were first dispatched to 111 South Main Street on the night of August 14 for a loud physical domestic dispute. Roughly two hours later, according to WJPA, Washington County 911 dispatchers received a call shortly after midnight reporting a structure fire at the same address, with Smith Township Police called back to the scene. A witness told 911 dispatchers that they saw Higgins intentionally set the house on fire before fleeing on foot down Noblestown Road toward the entrance to Midway Community Park, per the same account.
Blaze Engulfs Home as Multiple Departments Respond
The fire had engulfed the residence by the time crews arrived, and multiple fire departments responded to the scene to work the blaze under control. Among them was the Midway Volunteer Fire Department, known as Station 13, whose roots trace back to a horse-drawn “bucket brigade” formed in the late 1890s after a local feed mill fire, before the department was formally folded into borough operations in 1903, according to the Midway Volunteer Fire Department. During the response, a firefighter handed police a dog that had been trapped inside the burning home; the animal's current condition and ownership were not disclosed.
Mount Pleasant Township Police located Higgins near Noblestown Road and Johns Avenue and brought him to Smith Township Police on Herron Street, the report notes. Midway Borough does not maintain its own municipal police force and instead relies on coverage from the neighboring Smith Township Police Department, based in Slovan, according to Midway Borough. That arrangement is common among small Washington County boroughs, which frequently contract with surrounding township departments for law enforcement.
Suspect Faces Arson, Catastrophe and Drug Charges
Higgins was arrested on suspicion of intentionally setting fire to the residence and now faces charges that include causing or risking a catastrophe, terroristic threats, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia, the outlet reports. Under Pennsylvania law, arson endangering persons is graded as a first-degree felony carrying up to 20 years in state prison and a fine as high as $25,000, according to FindLaw. Separately, causing a catastrophe by fire intentionally or knowingly is also a first-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years, while risking a catastrophe can be graded as a second- or third-degree felony depending on intent, per Justia Law.
Higgins was lodged in the Washington County Correctional Facility to await arraignment. Defendants held there undergo preliminary arraignment before a Magisterial District Judge, who formally evaluates bail conditions ahead of a preliminary hearing, according to Washington County Records. It remains unclear whether bail was set or denied at Higgins's arraignment, and the exact extent of the fire damage to the South Main Street residence has not been detailed.
A Quiet Borough With a History of Nearby Emergencies
Midway Borough is a small residential community of roughly 837 residents packed into less than one square mile in northern Washington County, near the borders of Smith and Mount Pleasant townships, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. The borough isn't unfamiliar with public safety emergencies rattling the area this year; in January, a chemical transfer explosion at the Langeloth Metallurgical Plant in neighboring Smith Township sent four to the hospital and damaged nearby homes.
Nationally, arson tied to interpersonal disputes rather than financial motives is common in residential fires. Research from the National Fire Protection Association shows that three out of five intentionally set structure fires occur in residential properties, with domestic disputes or revenge cited as leading motivators rather than insurance fraud or profit. Property crimes including arson also remain difficult for Pennsylvania investigators to close: state data from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency shows an overall clearance rate of just 23.3% across 188,038 reported property offenses statewide during the 2024-25 fiscal year.
