CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A 53-year-old man was arrested in connection with an explosion and fire at the InTown Suites in Chesterfield. James G. Burns was charged with felony arson after police tracked him down in Richmond Tuesday. He was arrested without incident, police said.
Burns was being held at the Chesterfield County Jail without bond.
James G. Burns (PHOTO: Chesterfield Police)
Fire crews were called to the hotel on Green Spring Road near Chesterfield Towne Center early Tuesday morning for a report of an explosion.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud boom and then footsteps running down the hallway. They also reported smelling chemicals. The initial report was for a flash fire. The sprinkler system at the InTown Suites extinguished the flames after the explosion. No one was hurt in the fire.
"The Chesterfield Fire and EMS Hazardous Materials team was brought in to investigate the scene but found no evidence of hazardous materials in the room," Chesterfield Fire and EMS spokesman Lt. Jason Elmore said.
A check of the Chesterfield County Courts system found several previous arson-related arrests for a James Gregory Burns. Anyone with additional information about this arrest can submit a news tip here.
