Homeless Man Accused Of Setting Fire To Dumpster, Propane Tanks

CONCORD, NH — A homeless man now located in Concord was arrested on Tuesday accused of setting fire to a dumpster — after being arrested earlier in the day on five other charges, according to police.

Concord police and fire and rescue teams were sent to the area of Interstate 393 and Commercial Street for a report of a fire inside and around a dumpster.

Before arriving, fire dispatch told firefighters police said there appeared to be propane tanks in the dumpster, according to scanner chatter. When firefighters arrived, they found the dumpster on fire by the railroad tracks between Verizon and the Kimball Jenkins Estate. Grass and brush nearby were also burning near and around the dumpster, according to Chief Sean Brown.

NEWS 603 posted two videos of the fire on YouTube.com.

Firefighters extinguished the fire and police arrested Christopher Blodgett, 47, on arson, criminal threatening, and breach of bail charges.

According to Deputy Chief John Thomas, Blodgett was arrested on criminal threatening, simple assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and breach of bail charges earlier in the day. He was then released on bail. Blodgett was out on bail previously after being arrested on warrants.

NEWS 603

Police, and fire and rescue teams, were then sent to Pleasant Street for a motorcycle and car accident near North Fruit Street.

"One patient required a hospital trauma team alert with serious bodily injury and was transported to Concord Hospital by a Concord Fire Department ambulance," Brown said.

Thomas said the motorcyclist was still in critical condition at the hospital and New Hampshire State Police were investigating the incident.

Another fire sent firefighters and police to the railroad tracks in the area of The Friendly Kitchen on South Commercial Street later in the evening.

Brown said a plastic grocery cart had been set on fire.

Police arrested Elizabeth Steadman, 40, of Concord on a criminal trespass charge at that time.

Brown could not confirm whether or not there were propane tanks in the dumpster or if any of them had exploded. Police at the scene said there were propane tanks in the dumpster and others reported hearing small explosions. Brown said the unusual ring of fire around the dumpster was grass and brush that had been ignited due to the heat of the fire inside the dumpster.

Along with Tuesday's charges, Blodgett has an active felony criminal mischief charge in superior court after an incident in Concord on Jan. 7. He is due back in court on July 2 for a plea and sentencing hearing in that case.

Past charges and guilty pleas in superior court include: a theft charge out of Gilford in April 2017; willful concealment charges out of Laconia in September 2017; theft and controlled drug charges out of Laconia in October 2018; a theft charge out of Concord in January 2019; theft out of Laconia in February 2019; a theft charge out of Laconia in May 2019; and receiving stolen property out of Tilton in March 2019.

Blodgett has also been arrested repeatedly in Concord on felony theft, criminal mischief, criminal threatening, resisting, and other charges.

Steadman has previously been arrested on indecent exposure and active warrants.

Editor's note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the removal request process for New Hampshire Patch police reports.

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