Homeowner Sets His Own House on Fire: Report

CANDIA, NH - A New Hampshire man has been arrested and charged with setting a house fire in Candia last week.

Stephen Gracyalny, 59 of Candia, was arrested on Feb. 20, 2016, on a single felony arson charge.

Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the New Hampshire Fire Marshals Office. It does not indicate a conviction. Click this link to find out how to get a name removed from a New Hampshire Patch police report.

Gracyalny, according to New Hampshire State Fire Marshal J.William Degnan, Candia Police Chief Michael McGillen, and Candia Fire Chief Dean Young, allegedly set fire to his home on Hook Road in Candia on Feb. 19.

“The investigation remains ongoing by members of the NH State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Candia Police Department,” Degnan stated.

Gracyalny is currently being held at the Rockingham County House of Corrections in lieu of $50,000 cash-only bail. A video arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 22.

Degnan stated that the incident was a good reminder to residents that “arson is not a victimless crime, and that any intentionally set fire puts in motion a series of events that significantly jeopardizes both the public and our first responders safety.”

Nationwide, intentional set fires cause over 400 deaths, 1,300 injuries, and $1.3 billion dollars in direct property damage annually, he noted in a press statement.

Anyone with additional information about the Hook Road fire is requested to contact the Candia Police Department at 603-483-2318 or the NH State Fire Marshal’s Office – Bureau of Investigations at 603-223-4289.