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Home > News > 22-year-old Boise man charged with arson in connection with early morning church fire

22-year-old Boise man charged with arson in connection with early morning church fire

A 22-year Boise man is charged with first-degree arson in connection with a fire that extensively damaged a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church on South Maple Grove Road early Tuesday.

Joshua M. Blair is also charged with felony burglary in connection with the incident. Blair is being held in the Ada County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

Ada County Sheriff’s deputies and Boise Fire crews responded to a report of a fire at 5645 S. Maple Grove Road shortly after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.  Fire crews arrived to find an active fire on the first floor that moved into the attic space.

Crews were able to knock the blaze down quickly but not before the church sustained significant fire damage.

A witness told deputies they saw a man wearing a black sweatshirt leave the church area right before the fire started.

Deputies began investigating and looking for the man in the area. It was during that investigation when a man approached a deputy at the scene and provided information that led deputies to Blair, who was sitting in a truck nearby.

Blair was wearing a black sweatshirt. One of his hands was bleeding. Deputies later determined Blair injured his hand when he broke a window to get inside the church.

Deputies developed evidence and interviewed Blair, determined he set the fire on purpose, and arrested him on the first-degree arson charge, booking him into the jail just after 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Blair is charged with burglary because there is evidence he broke into the church with the intent to set it on fire.

The charge of first-degree arson is punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Blair’s next court appearance is set for Aug. 11.