Homeless Man Arrested For Setting Barrel Fires Around Cambridge

CAMBRIDGE, MA — If you were noticing a number of fires engines racing around Cambridge this morning, well, you weren't imagining things: Cambridge Police believe someone was allegedly setting those on purpose.

This afternoon Cambridge Police arrested Paul Ankuda, 58 who is homeless, in Harvard Square after a multi-agency investigation into the barrel and recycle bin fires that happened over a two-hour span in Cambridge and Somerville this morning, police said.

Ankuda will be charged by the Cambridge Police with eight counts of vandalism and defacement of property for fires set in Cambridge.

Investigators from the Fire Marshall’s Office, Cambridge Police Department and arson investigators from the Cambridge Fire Department are also investigating a mulch fire that appears to have spread to the BB&N Boat House on Gerry's Landing Road at 7:40 a.m. this morning.

The Boat House fire has not been linked to the other fires, but the investigation is ongoing, say officials.

Photos courtesy Cambridge Fire Department's @CambridgeMAFire Twitter account.