A 42-year-old man has been charged in connection with a massive fire Friday on Birmingham’s Southside.

Joshua Jay Mitchell, who lists a Randolph County address, is charged with second-degree arson, according to court records made public Monday.

According to authorities and court records, Mitchell started a fire at 5:33 a.m. Friday at 1210 20 th Street South, which is the location of Big Escape Room and about a block away from the blaze that destroyed multiple buildings.

Officials say he also set other fires that morning which sparked the massive blaze on Cobb Lane and 20th Street South . The fires were not fully extinguished until Saturday night.

Mitchell, the warrant states, did intentionally damage a building by starting or maintaining a fire or causing an explosion.

A motive

See Full Page