FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — A man is accused of starting a fire inside a barn that was filled with hay and next to a building that people were inside on Wednesday in Franklin County.

Ray Coldsmith Jr., 43, of Shippensburg, was taken into custody near the scene, and had hay on him, char marks on his shirt, smelled of gasoline, and had burns on his fingers, State Police at Chambersburg said in a criminal complaint.

Troopers saw a barn filled with hay was on fire after investigating an incident where Coldsmith had allegedly thrown rocks through a truck window at a home along the 1000 block of Coldsmith Road in Greene Township, the complaint says.

The fire was spreading throughout the area that was filled with trees and a cornfield. State Police say the fire already reached the first two rows of the field.

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It was noted in the charges that Troopers saw a man, who matched Coldsmith’s description walking in a field along the road holding what appeared to be a gas can.

Troopers say they put out Coldsmith’s description to the responding units who were able to find him near the fire scene. When he was searched, Troopers say they found a lighter in his pocket.

Coldsmith did not cooperate when State Police tried to interview him, the complaint says.

Coldsmith faces felony charges of arson, reckless burning or exploding and criminal mischief. He also faces misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief and agricultural vandalism and summary charges of dangerous burning and disorderly conduct.

Coldsmith is currently lodged in Franklin County Prison due to “no bail condition available to ensure defendant and communities safety,” online court dockets state.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 23.

Shippensburg Borough enacted a burn ban Wednesday and “will stay in place until conditions improve and we can communicate with neighboring municipalities to standardize our response to this potential dangerous situation,” the fire department said in a statement.

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