Wellsville man indicted on three arson charges
LISBON — A man suspected of causing a 2018 vacant house fire in East Palestine which resulted in injuries to two firefighters was served recently in Dayton with a secret indictment for three arson charges.
Matthew Harper, 28, whose address was listed as Y & O Road, Wellsville, was charged with two counts of aggravated arson, a first-degree felony, and one count of aggravated arson, a second-degree felony. The indictment was issued in early 2024 by the Columbiana County Grand Jury.
According to county Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino, Harper could face a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison if convicted and given consecutive maximum sentences for all three charges. Each of the first-degree felonies carries a possible sentence of three to 11 years. The second-degree felony carries a possible maximum sentence of eight years.
The indictment alleged that on Aug. 10, 2018, Harper, by means of fire or explosion, knowingly created a substantial risk of serious physical harm to Michael Long and Robbie Hill and the structure at 973 W. Main St., East Palestine.
Abruzzino confirmed that Long and Hill were East Palestine firefighters at the time of the fire. A news story in 2018 about the fire indicated the three-story home was formerly an assisted living facility, but was vacant at the time of the fire with no utilities. The fire was ruled an arson.
The news story also noted that two firefighters were injured as they were attempting to get out of the way when a window blew out and they fell into a large hole that opened up in the ground.
The fire chief at the time said it appeared to be an eroded culvert on the southwest side of the house and the ground was unstable and gave way as the firefighters moved. They didn’t see it in the dark.