A township man is accused of setting his Maple Tree Lane home on fire Friday because he couldn't afford to do any repairs, police said.
SPARTA -- A township man was charged with setting his Maple Tree Lane home on fire Friday morning, police said.
Michael A. McQuilkin, 76, of Sparta, told patrol officers who responded to the fire shortly after 5 a.m. he "torched" his home, which was in "a state of complete disrepair," because he couldn't afford to repair it, Sgt. Dennis Proctor said.
The fire was quickly extinguished by firefighters but the home was a complete loss, Proctor said.
McQuilkin was charged with third-degree arson. He was remanded to the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility in lieu of $7,500 bail with a 10-percent option.
No one was injured in this incident.
Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.