A man charged with arson with disregard for human life following a fire at 99 McNaughton Avenue West in Chatham in January is seeking bail again.
David Anderson, 72, has a bail hearing set for Wednesday in Chatham court.
Anderson was re-arrested on June 24 in Chatham for breaching his bail conditions set in February when he was released on bail for the first time.
His terms of release in February included paying $1,000 in bail if he violated his bail conditions, residing at the Kent Motel in Chatham, and reporting to the John Howard Society bail supervision program.
He also has a lengthy and violent criminal record and was banned from possessing weapons, ammunition, explosive devices, and incendiary devices, except for a lighter to light his cigarettes.
Anderson was told by the court in Chatham in February that he couldn't return to 99 McNaughton Avenue West except to pick up his belongings while being accompanied by a uniformed police officer.
The fire caused $250,000 in damage. Fire crews arrived to find heavy smoke and extreme heat on the second floor.
Dozens of occupants were safely evacuated from the social housing complex and given temporary shelter assistance through the Municipality of Chatham-Kent and Emmanuel Baptist Church.
Chatham-Kent police noted no one was hurt in the fire, and it was contained to a single unit. However, other units suffered smoke and water damage.
The same building was the site of another arson in August 2024 that displaced approximately 100 residents for up to a year.
The two accused in the 2024 arson had their charges withdrawn due to a lack of evidence.
