SALEM — Police arrested a man for allegedly setting fire to a pile of discarded Christmas trees that had been stacked at Dead Horse Beach for the city's annual bonfire, which was canceled Friday due to strong winds.
Joseph Ferrante Jr., 55, of 23 Oakhurst Ave., Ipswich, was arrested Friday at 5:22 p.m. on a charge of willful and malicious burning of the trees.
He denied any involvement, according to police.
A witness said she saw a man running from the beach with a canister in his hands, according to a police report. She gave a description of a van at the scene, which was stopped at Bridge and Washington streets.
Inside the van, police said they found six empty matchbooks and an empty 32-ounce can of acetone, a solvent that an officer described as "highly flammable."
The witness identified Ferrante as the man she had seen at Dead Horse Beach, according to the police report.
The city originally planned to hold the Christmas tree bonfire at 6 p.m. on Thursday night, but had to postpone it due to high winds. It was called off Friday for the same reason.
The Fire Department was called to Dead Horse Beach to put out the blaze.
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