San Rafael Man Arrested for Setting Fire to Apartment

San Rafael police arrested a man on suspicion of setting fire to a room in his apartment early Thursday morning.

The San Rafael Fire Department responded around 4:15 a.m. to the fire at apartment 19 at 35 Canal Street and put out the flames in the room within 15 minutes, Fire Chief Chris Gray said.

The damage from the fire, $25,000 to the structure and $20,000 to its contents, was limited because of a rapid response and functioning smoke detectors, Gray said.

The resident who is suspected of starting the fire, Richard O’Hara, 59, suffered minor injuries and was evaluated by fire department paramedics at the scene, Gray said.

O’Hara was arrested on suspicion of arson at 5:13 a.m. and was booked into Marin County Jail on $25,000 bail, according to jail booking logs.

--Bay City News Service, photo via Shutterstock