Arson brings jail time

A Tamaqua man who attempted to burn mold from the walls and floors of his apartment, setting the building on fire on Feb. 24, 2016, will serve up to 23 months in Schuylkill County jail.

Brian K. Haas, 51, of Tamaqua, was charged by borough police with arson, danger of death or bodily injury; arson, intent to destroy an unoccupied building; risking a catastrophe; recklessly endangering another person; criminal mischief; and arson, inhabited building.

He pleaded guilty on Sept. 27 to arson and risking a catastrophe.

President Judge William E. Baldwin sentenced him to 11½ to 23 months in jail on the charge of arson, intent to destroy an unoccupied building, and to 12 months of probation on the catastrophe charge.

The remaining charges were dropped.

Baldwin gave him credit for the time he served from Feb. 24, 2016, to Aug. 24, 2016, plus the five-and-a-half months he was confined at a Danville facility.

Tamaqua police and firefighters were dispatched to 409 W. Broad St. at 1:38 a.m. Feb. 24, 2016, for a smoke detector activation in Apt. 1.

Smoke billowed from the apartment, but the man who had locked himself inside told firefighters to go away.

Police forced the door open and found Haas inside.

He refused to leave and had to physically be removed from the smoke-filled apartment.

There were no flames but firefighters found a pile of burned clothes and burn marks on the floors and walls, and a hole burned through one area of the floor.

Haas told police he was trying to get rid of mold.

He lit a piece of paper, then threw it on the mold to try to burn it out. A pile of clothing and a baseboard caught fire.