August 25th, 2025 by WCBC Radio

Deputy State Fire Marshals charged a Cumberland man with allegedly setting a fire in July near the  Board of Education maintenance building. Michael Gage Butler, 30, was arrested by troopers last Thursday. Just after noon on July 4, the Cumberland Fire Department and Cumberland Police Department responded to a fire at 211 Market Street. Firefighters controlled the fire, limiting damages to an estimated $1,000. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire before it spread to the building. Investigators from the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Cumberland Fire Marshal's Office, the Cumberland Police Department, and the Board of Education Security reviewed surveillance footage showing Butler entering the area shortly before the fire. Butler was seen using a lighter to intentionally ignite brush and grass. Deputy State Fire Marshals charged Butler with Malicious Destruction of Property over $1,000. He was taken before a District Court Commissioner and later released on his own recognizance pending trial.