ONEONTA _ The owner of the house at 14 Susquehanna St. damaged by fire July 23 was arrested on arson and related charges Friday, Oneonta police said.
Donald R. Kropp, 33, was charged with the following felonies: third-degree arson, two counts of second-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree insurance fraud, police said.
Kropp was arraigned in Oneonta City Court and sent to Otsego County jail on $10,000 bail to reappear Monday, police said. He has been assigned Oneonta attorney Robert Gouldin, a court official said. Gouldin was not at his office Friday night for comment.
If convicted, police said, Kropp could be sentenced up to 15 years in prison each for the two most serious charges _ arson and fraud.
The fire was reported at 5:44 p.m. July 23 and declared under control in about an hour, police said.
A preliminary-cause investigation was begun by teams from the Oneonta fire and police departments. Kropp, his wife and their three children were not home at the time, officials said. The home was insured for more than $500,000, according to a media release from state Insurance Department.
There were two Oneonta firefighters injured at the scene. Chief Robert Barnes damaged his left knee while coordinating fire efforts and won't be able to return to full duty for another four-to-six weeks, he said Friday. Another firefighter, who was unidentified because of privacy restrictions, injured his right ankle but is back on active duty.
The fire started in a first-floor room that was being used as a bedroom, Barnes said in a media release. The structure sustained significant smoke, water, and fire damage, with most of the damage reportedly on the first floor.
The investigation that day found no logical accidental source of the fire could be determined, and so the fire was considered suspicious, Barnes said. The following day, the New York State Insurance Frauds Bureau and an investigation team from New York Central Mutual Insurance Co., which insured the home, joined the investigation. Kropp filed a claim, but nothing was paid.
The investigation continued until Aug. 10, when the investigation determined that the fire was intentionally set based on such factors as burn patterns and the nature of the damage, Barnes said.
Barnes said Friday that when the fire was reported, he went straight to the scene, awaiting his gear, and assessed the situation. As the first official on the scene, he spoke with neighbors to see if anyone was still in the house.
When they expressed uncertainty, he went into the building to make sure nobody was inside.
Although he did not have the proper equipment, "there are times you have no choice," he said. If there was a chance, "you take a risk."
