Police arrest 1 for arson after pets die in fire
FORT PAIN, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office is reporting the arrest of Adam J. Prime, 32, of Fort Pain, who they charged with two felonies:
- Third-degree arson
- Aggravated cruelty to animals
At about 6:46 a.m. on Saturday, the South Minden Volunteer Fire Department were dispatched to the scene of a reported structure fire at Prime's address on Salt Springville Road. Firefighters succeeding in knocking down the blaze, but Prime's two cats died in the fire.
The Fire Chief asked for an investigation by county officials. County Fire Coordinator, Dale Furman, convened the Montgomery County Fire Investigation Team, working with the Sheriff's Office to determine that "the fire appeared to be incendiary"—meaning it was "intentionally ignited in an area or under circumstances where and when there should not be a fire," according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.
Furman reached out to the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control Investigation Unit for further aid. Their investigation—which ultimately included a confession from Prime—lead to his arrest for starting the fire.