Provo Structure-Arson Fire

[UTFFEMT]

Police: Dispute at Provo home ends in arson

Photo courtesy of Saia Uluave Provo firefighters put out a fire at a house on 920 South in Provo on Saturday, October 24, 2009. The fire completely burned down the garage which was not attached to the house.
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A man was arrested Saturday afternoon after allegedly setting fire to a garage after police were called to break up a fight.

Provo police responded to a fight between two males just before 1 p.m. on Saturday at 655 W. 920 South, Provo. The men were arguing in the garage. After arriving at the home, police "noticed inside the garage, a gold passenger vehicle on fire," said police in statement. "The fire was started by one of the males, who fled from the scene."

The fire was set by Michael Harriell, who owned another vehicle in the garage, said Deputy Fire Chief Gary Jolley in an interview.

"It was intentionally set," Jolley said. "He was having a dispute with another person, who lived in the house."

Because of gasoline in the vehicles, as well as flammable chemicals in the garage, "it was quite an involved fire," Jolley said. "It took off and burned very fast."

In an unusual twist, police called firefighters, who put out the fire, which destroyed a detached garage, two vehicles inside the garage, and melted the vinyl siding of a neighboring home. No one was injured. Firefighters did not immediately have a damage estimate.

After a brief search, police apprehended Harriell without incident, and he was booked into the Utah County Jail.