Press Release  Employee Charged in Gloucester Market Basket Fire

GLOUCESTER — Gloucester Police arrested a Market Basket employee today in connection with last week’s fire, said Gloucester Police Chief Edward G. Conley, Gloucester Fire Chief Eric L. Smith, and State Fire Marshal Jon Davine.  

MATTHEW R. JOHNSON, 35, was charged with two counts each of burning personal property and attempting to burn a building for allegedly setting two separate fires at 101 Gloucester Crossing Road on the night of March 14. Johnson’s arrest came in the course of a joint investigation by the Gloucester Police Department, Gloucester Fire Department, and State Police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office.

Johnson is currently expected to appear in Gloucester District Court this afternoon.

The Gloucester Fire Department responded to the scene at about 8:20 pm to find a fire inside the building near the rear of the structure. Firefighters immediately made entry to attack the fire and soon discovered fire in another location. A second alarm was struck, bringing additional personnel to the scene, and both fires were fully extinguished by 9:00. No injuries were reported, and with extensive ventilation and cleaning the store was able to open the next day.

The fire departments of Essex, Manchester, and Rockport provided mutual aid at the scene, and companies from Beverly, Danvers, and Ipswich provided station coverage.

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