Tenant charged with arson in Chelsea apartment fire
Authorities say Kevin Qu appears to have tinkered with the pilot light of his stove in his apartment, at the Elliot Houses. While he was out, a spark from the stove spread to two large gas cans inside of the apartment.
CHELSEA (WABC) -- A 48-year-old man is now charged with arson in connection with a fire in Chelsea earlier this week.
The flames broke out on West 25th Street just before 1:30 a.m. Monday
Authorities say Kevin Qu appears to have tinkered with the pilot light of his stove in his apartment, at the Elliot Houses. While he was out, a spark from the stove spread to two large gas cans inside of the apartment. That caused an explosion that damaged his and three other apartments in the city-run building.
Qu was not in his apartment when the fire took place, and police say he returned the building and saw the fire department outside. Then he did not go into the apartment or the building, allegedly because he has problems with people in the building. Instead, he slept on a bench in Central Park.
He is charged with second-degree arson and first-degree reckless endangerment and was ordered held on $250,000 bail. He faces up to 25 years in prison.
No one was injured, and firefighters were able to get the fire under control in about an hour.
