Nashua Woman Charged with Starting Fire

A Nashua woman has been charged with reckless conduct for starting a fire in a Beard Street building on Jan. 24.

Maliea Martin, 25, no fixed address was arrested Monday and charged with reckless conduct, a Class B felony.

At 12:11 a.m. on Jan. 24, members of the Nashua Police Department’s Uniform Field Operations Bureau responded to 5 Beard St. to assist the Nashua Fire Department with a structure fire. The fire was deemed suspicious. The investigation was then furthered by members of the Criminal Investigation Division with the assistance of the Fire Marshal’s Office.

Through the course of the investigation it was learned that Martin, who was one of the second floor occupants of the structure, had discarded a lit cigarette in the area of some flammable materials in the hallway of the second floor. The fire prohibited the occupants of the second floor to be able to exit through the door and as a result they had to leave the structure through a window with the assistance of the Nashua Fire Department.

Martin was held on $15,000 cash/surety bail and is scheduled for arraignment on Feb. 4 in the 9th Circuit Nashua District Division Court.