While I think that the man might be at fault for what's being called the largest fire Cohoes has ever seen, I feel like arson might be pushing it a bit.

At about 2pm this afternoon a massive fire swept through Remsen St. in Cohoes absolutely destroying 3 buildings and damaging at least 20 more. The fire quickly became a 3 alarm fire and is said to be the biggest Cohoes has ever seen.

While 100 firefighters from multiple departments came out to help stop the blaze the 20 to 30 mile per hour winds spread the fire from building to building with a quickness. At this point in the night officials are still putting out warm spots and assessing the damage and there are at least 20 people that are displaced tonight. Including the man they say started it all.

The man said to have started the fire is actually a resident in the area and according to News10 it all began with a barrel fire the man lit in his backyard to keep warm while doing some work. However, with the intense winds whipping through the Capital Region the fire quickly got out of his control.

The man has since been arrested and charged with felony reckless endangerment and misdemeanor arson. He pleaded not guilty and was jailed on $15,000 bail.

As a result of his actions there are number of people without homes or jobs and a number of business have been destroyed and that's something that the man is going to have to live with for the rest of his life. However, arson is defined as,

a crime of intentionally, deliberately and maliciously setting fire to buildings, wildland areas, abandoned homes, vehicles or other property with the intent to cause damage.

and from what outlets such as News 10 and the Times Union have been saying it doesn't sound like this man intentionally set out to burn down the town it seems like it was a crazy accident. But this very  situation is exactly why they don't allow open burns in cities. Of course this situation is still developing I'm sure more information will be out by the time we wake up in the morning.

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