A Baltimore man has been arrested and charged for the 2022 Stricker Street fire that claimed the lives of three city firefighters, according to city court documents.
James Barnett, 57, is charged with second-degree arson, three counts each of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment for the Jan. 24, 2022, fire.
A defense attorney was not listed on online court records for Barnett.
When firefighters arrived at 205 S. Stricker Street early that morning, it was “fully engulfed in flame,” according to charging documents. Surveillance footage revealed Barnett entering the rear of the house at shortly before midnight on Jan. 23, 2022.
The footage showed Barnett “creating several flashes of light inside the first floor of the structure,” then leaving eight minutes later, charging documents state.
Fire lieutenants Paul Butrim and Kelsey Sadler and firefighter/paramedic Kenny Lacayo were fatally injured when they became trapped in the vacant burning building, which collapsed on them. Lacayo and Sadler were extracted after an hour but suffered fatal cardiac arrests at the scene, according to previous Baltimore Sun coverage. One other firefighter survived.
After the blaze, the fire department adopted new procedures to avoid losing more firefighters in collapses. A report released about the department’s response led to the resignation of then-fire chief Niles Ford.
Barnett is scheduled for a bail review on Monday in Baltimore City District Court.
This story will be updated.
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