State police have arrested a man suspected of setting his own home on fire on Christmas Day.
Jeffrey B. Kowalec, 47, of Harwinton, is facing arson charges after a fire at 21 Lead Mine Brook Road in Harwinton where he lives. The fire broke out on the first floor of the house. No one was home when the fire happened and no one was injured.
State police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit detectives responded on Dec. 25, 2014 at 7:52 a.m. to help Harwinton firefighters investigate a suspicious structure fire at his home. They determined that the fire was set intentionally and state police identified Kowalec as the arsonist, state police said.
The house had smoke, fire and water damage after the fire, which made it uninhabitable, state police said.
State police charged Kowalec with second-degree arson. He is scheduled to appear in Bantam Superior Court. He was issued a $100,000 cash/surety bond.
