ORRINGTON, Maine — A 51-year-old man has been charged with arson following a January fire that destroyed his family's home in Orrington.

Mark Meierdirk of Orrington was arrested Monday by investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office. The charges stem from a Jan. 30 fire at 978 Brewer Lake Road, where Meierdirk had been living. The home was a total loss.

Investigators say they spent several months reviewing financial records and interviewing witnesses. On Sunday, they executed a search warrant at the property, where they documented items Meierdirk allegedly removed before the fire and stored in an outbuilding.

Meierdirk faces two counts of arson—one for allegedly setting a fire to collect insurance money and another for property damage. He was taken to the Penobscot County Jail wit

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