A man was taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation after it appears he set his own house on fire in West St. Paul Sunday afternoon, according to police.
Firefighters from the South Metro Fire Department arrived at a house fire in the 900 block of Charlton St. about 4 p.m. Sunday, said Sgt. Matt Muellner of the West St. Paul Police Department. Initial investigation shows that the resident set his own home on fire, Muellner said.
Crews knocked the fire down quickly, within five to 10 minutes at the most, Muellner said.
The house, which was "smoking very badly," is uninhabitable and looks like a total loss, Muellner said, adding that he wasn't certain what had been used to ignite the fire.
Muellner said police have had contact with the man living in the home before, including three times in the last month.
Erin Adler • 612-673-1781
