A man faces a preliminarily charge of arson after he allegedly started a small fire late Thursday at a Fort Wayne mental-health facility.
Phillip D. Bertsch, 32, told a fire investigator that he used heat from electrical wiring to light paper on fire in a room at a Park Center facility, according to court records.
Bertsch, who was a Park Center resident, barricaded the door to the room, and staff had to struggle with him to make him leave the building, court records said.
Fire crews were sent to the two-story building at 1909 Carew St., near East State and North Anthony boulevards, just before midnight. The structure was evacuated when firefighters arrived, court records stated.
Eighteen people, including Bertsch, were staying at the facility. No injuries were reported. The fire caused smoke and water damage estimated at more than $5,000, according to court records.
Bertsch, of Markle, was being held at the Allen County Lockup in lieu of $10,000 bail.
