Sean Gahagan, 56, of Lebanon is facing various arson charges for allegedly setting a fire that destroyed a Montgomery County mechanic’s shop where he used to work.
At 8:45 p.m. on Dec. 29, firefighters and Upper Moreland Police Department officers were dispatched to a fire at JG Transmissions, an auto mechanic shop at the 600 block of Davis Road. Upon arrival, crews found the commercial building engulfed in flames.
At 8:30 p.m. the same day, officials said Lower Moreland Police Department officers were called to a Huntingdon Pike residence for a shed fire. The fire was put out by police using with a fire extinguisher prior to the arrival of firefighters.
An investigation into the cause of both fires found that they were intentionally set, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office.
“Inside the shed, fire investigators found a can of fire-starting fluid and a can of ‘Gum Cutter,’ which is a highly flammable product used to clean various parts of automotive engines,” officials said in a press release. “The fire investigators found that ‘“’Gum Cutter’”’ is a product used by JG Transmissions.”