Mar 23, 2017 2 min read

MONESSEN – A Monessen man is wanted on charges he set fire to an abandoned house in early January in his hometown, which has been experiencing a string of such blazes this year.

District Judge Joseph Dalfonso signed a warrant Wednesday for the arrest of the suspect, Durian Paul Jordan, 34, of 524 10th St., on charges of arson and risking a catastrophe, court records show.

It was too early to determine Thursday whether the case is related to two other arsons in the city since January, Monessen fire Chief Chris Rhome said.

Rhome also said it was premature for him to comment on the Jordan case.

The Jan. 2 fire for which Jordan is facing charges was followed by another arson the same day at a four-car garage, he said. There was another arson a week ago that damaged an abandoned house at 327 Marguerite Ave.

Jordan is accused of setting a fire in the basement and two other locations about 2 p.m. in the abandoned house at Knox and 10th. The house had no utilities and had been empty for three years, Monessen police stated in the affidavit supporting the criminal charges in the case.

The following day, police said they had information there was a witness who saw Jordan run from the house before the fire started.

The witness later told police she walked past the house that afternoon and there wasn’t any smoke in the area. She said she returned five minutes later and noticed Jordan running from the house’s basement door and smoke coming out of the structure, the court record alleges.