DELMONT - Charges have been filed against a man in connection with a fire that destroyed a Delmont apartment building and authorities are looking for his whereabouts
Brian Good, 55, of Delmont, was charged with first-degree arson and conspiracy to commit first-degree arson on July 14, stemming from a Feb. 21 incident that destroyed a four-unit apartment structure at 104 Wilson St. in Delmont.
Good lived in one of the four units in the building, and an investigation revealed the fire started inside Good's apartment, said Douglas County State's Attorney Craig Parkhurst.
Parkhurst declined to comment on where the fire started inside the unit or what was used to start the blaze.
An arrest warrant was also issued on July 14 but has yet to be filled, and Parkhurst said Good's location is unknown. Bond for the matter was set at $20,000.
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Parkhurst said police developed Good "fairly quickly" as a suspect, but the charges come nearly five months after the incident because Parkhurst wanted to complete some legal research. Additionally, Good was receiving treatment for burns "for some time" following the fire, and Parkhurst said he decided to wait to file charges until his time in the hospital was complete.
"Inevitably, what happens if someone has some claim for medical care and they're in custody, the first thing they want to do is go some place nicer than the jail and have the county pay a lot of money for their care. In a small county, that has to be something that's thought about," Parkhurst said.
One other person also lived in the building in a different unit but was not present at the time of the fire, authorities said in February.
A Douglas County deputy said the apartment remains a total loss. It remains standing, but the town has decided to tear it down.
