Hornell man arrested on arson charge after apartment fire

HORNELL, N.Y. ( WETM ) — A Hornell man is facing charges related to an apartment fire that happened on Thursday afternoon.

Denzel Brantley, 27, was arrested on Sept. 30 after an investigation into a fire in the City of Hornell. According to the Hornell Police Department, the fire started in the rear apartment of a building on Ransom Street shortly before 3 p.m. on Sept. 26 and engulfed the building. No one was inside the building during the fire, and no injuries were reported.

After firefighters extinguished the fire, a police investigation found that the fire was caused by arson. Police say further investigation and interviews identified Brantley as the only person suspected to have started the fire.

Brantley was charged with second-degree arson (a class B felony) and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment (a class D felony) in connection to the fire. Brantley was also charged with second-degree criminal contempt (a class A misdemeanor) for an unrelated incident that occurred earlier in the week. After his arrest, Brantley was sent to CAP Court to be arraigned.

The Hornell Fire Department and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Hornell Police Department with the investigation, and the South Hornell Fire Department assisted the Hornell Fire Department at the scene of the fire.

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