Police charge man in Balto. auto shop fire

Baltimore police have arrested a 35-year-old man in connection with a fire that destroyed an automobile repair and tire shop and cast a cloud of thick black smoke over Northwest Baltimore last Monday afternoon, police said.

Police said Sunday that they had arrested the suspect, identified as Jason Hicks, on Friday and charged him with first-degree arson in the three-alarm fire in the 4100 block of W. Belvedere Ave.

According to news reports and a Baltimore City firefighters' union website, the fire broke out around 4 p.m. Sept. 26 and burned through the two-story building. Burning tires created thick smoke that made battling the fire difficult, the reports said.

Residents from as far away as Owings Mills, Reisterstown and parts of Howard County reported seeing and smelling the smoke, the reports said.

According to the reports, crews were still putting water on hot spots on Tuesday morning and the building was condemned Tuesday afternoon.

Paramedics treated a civilian who suffered burns to his hands, a fire official said.