Man Charged With Starting Fire at East Windsor Health Care Facility

A 73-year-old man has been charged with starting a fire Tuesday night that caused in East Windsor to be evacuated while fire departments put out the blaze.

John Turner, of 96 Prospect Hill Road, is charged with first-degree arson and first-degree criminal mischief, said. He was arraigned in Enfield Superior Court Wednesday, ordered held on $500,000 and his case transferred to Hartford Part A court.

Police and fire investigators determined that the fire was started by Turner who lit a cardboard box full of clothes. Turner stated he started the fire because he did not like being there, police said.

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Firefighters were called to the care center at 7:25 p.m. with reports of a fire on the third floor, Warehouse Point Fire Chief James Barton said. The fire was put out quickly because of a sprinkler system but the south wing of third floor suffered smoke damage and 22 residents had to be evacuated from the floor.

Because of water damage 24 residents from the second floor also had to be evacuated, Barton said.

“Kettle Brook staff did an outstanding job evacuating patients before we got there,” Barton said.

No one suffered injuries in the incident, Barton said. The fire was responded to by , and Enfield fire departments, and the .

Emergency personnel spent about four hours on the scene moving residents around after the fire, Barton said. Most of the residents were able to be placed back in their rooms.

Six rooms were damaged and deemed uninhabitable, Barton said.