In September 2007, a fire broke out in a home on Myrtle Avenue in Halethorpe, destroying the building. It was just one of a series of suspicious fires in the area around that time–and last week, a volunteer firefighter who put out the blaze was accused of setting it.
This is a topic close to my heart; I’ve previously written about firefighter arsonists, who turn out to be much more common than you’d expect. (Read more about what motivates firefighter arsonists here.)
According to the Baltimore Sun, Nicholas Hannigan told investigators that he set the blaze because other members of the volunteer fire department told him he “should have lit a fire by now to be like everyone else.”
Hannigan remained active with the fire department for years after the fire he’s accused of setting.
