CINCINNATI — An arrest has been made by the Cincinnati Fire Investigation Unit in the two-alarm fire in Price Hill that left four people injured.

Shawn Kidder, 64, was a resident at 711 Elberon Avenue, where the explosion occurred, and officials said he knowling lit natural gas.

Kidder has been charged with five counts of Aggravated Arson to Person, Felony 1, and one count of Aggravated Arson to Property, Felony 2.

“While fires like these are always a tragic loss, the CFD FIU continues to do an outstanding job bringing justice to those who negatively impact our community,” said Fire Chief Frank McKinley.

On March 9, around 8:15 p.m., several 911 calls were made reporting a building on fire and the sound of an explosion. The Cincinnati Fire Department was dispatched to the scene where they were met with a four-family dwelling facing extreme fire conditions. 

Officials said the exterior walls were collapsed and a victim was found in the front yard. The incident was upgraded to a two-alarm response to bring more manpower on the scene,

Four fire victims were treated and transported by Cincinnati Fire/EMS and an adjacent fire in a vacant building was extinguished. 

In total, six people were displaced by the blaze and the building was demolished because of a lack of structural stability.