Police in Massachusetts arrest man on charge of intentionally setting brush fires

ATTLEBORO, Mass. — A man was arrested on suspicion of intentionally setting brush fires in Massachusetts during a time of dry conditions that have led to blazes throughout the Northeast, police said Monday.

Police said they arrested the 72-year-old Attleboro man during a traffic stop Saturday after an extensive search that included the use of video surveillance. The fires happened in his home city.

The man did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday. It wasn’t clear whether he had an attorney to speak on his behalf.

The suspicious brush fires occurred last week throughout Attleboro, about 40 miles south of Boston. They occurred at an Elks Lodge, a reservoir, a wastewater facility and an animal shelter, police said.

The Attleboro man was also under investigation for other fires in the city at the time of his arrest, police said. He was scheduled for a court appearance later Monday.

Much of the Northeast, including Massachusetts, has seen a dangerous uptick in brush fires during a dry autumn.