KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A man has been charged with aggravated arson after a hotel fire in Knoxville, according to the Knoxville Fire Department.
Christopher Adam Ridge, 49, also faces a charge of felony vandalism. He is being held at the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility as of Thursday morning.
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On the night of July 17, the Knoxville Fire Department received a report of a room fire at the Executive Inn on Chapman Highway. They responded and firefighters contained the blaze, stopping it from spreading to the rest of the hotel. There were multiple people in the building at the time, but no one was injured.
KFD investigated the incident and determined that the fire had been set intentionally after an argument between Ridge and hotel staff, a spokesperson said. On Thursday morning, the Knoxville Police Department found Ridge near World’s Fair Park and took him into custody.
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“Given the number of residents inside the hotel at the time of the fire, the potential for serious injury or loss of life was substantial,” KFD said…