City man charged in Broad Street home fire
City police charged Victor J. Weltner, 24, of Butler with arson and burglary in connection with a house fire on Broad Street Saturday morning.
The home at 305 Broad Street was severely damaged by the fire, and another home suffered some exterior damage.
Fire crews responded to reports of a house fire about 6:45 a.m., according to Butler Bureau of Fire Capt. Kevin McAfee. Flames were coming out of multiple windows upon arrival, and the fire took about an hour to get under control.
No one was injured in the fire. The home was not occupied, officials said.
A witness told police that he saw a man coming from the rear of the burning home.
Police found Weltner smelling of smoke and with a fresh cut on his forearm. Police accuse Weltner of breaking into the house and setting fire to kitchen curtains before fleeing.
The neighboring property at 307 Broad Street was occupied and suffered some damage, according to McAfee, but fire crews stopped the flames before major damage could spread to the second home.
Read more in Monday's issue of the Butler Eagle.
