Bail denied for 'shoeless' man accused of setting fire at Harsco Metals building in Harrison

A district judge denied bail for a man accused of setting a fire inside a control room at the Harsco building in Harrison on Tuesday.

Harrison police charged Mark Porter, 35, of the 800 block of Lardintown Road in Fawn with felony counts of arson and criminal trespass along with counts of criminal mischief and trespassing.

During a Tuesday arraignment, District Judge Carolyn Bengel denied bail for Porter because he posed a threat to public safety, according to court records. He faces a preliminary hearing before Bengel on Wednesday, March 29.

Police wrote in a criminal complaint that police responded to Harsco Metals, which is within the ATI metals plant along Federal Street, for a report of a man hiding in the building who had started a fire.

Porter was being detained by employees when officers arrived. They said he was dressed in a black puffy jacket, a ski mask, sweatpants and socks, but was not wearing any shoes, the complaint said.

Police said Porter “seemed distressed” while being questioned and told an officer that he wasn’t sure how he got into the control room.

He said workers where trying to murder him by starting a fire and locking him in the room, according to the complaint.

The employee who initially detained Porter told investigators that he went into the control room and noticed that items had been scattered before spotting a man inside.

The worker said Porter charged toward him so he shut the door to stop him from leaving, the complaint said.

The employee told police that after shutting Porter in the room he saw smoke pouring from underneath the door and alerted other workers while he retrieved a fire extinguisher, the complaint said.

When the room began filling with smoke, Porter broke two windows and came out “spraying a fire extinguisher” in the face of an employee until they were able to subdue him and put out the fire, the complaint said.

Police said it appears that Porter started the fire by lighting a bag and placing it at the base of the door.

Harrison Police Chief Mike Klein described the incident as “a strange chain of events.”

“He scooted into the building even though there are no trespassing signs,” the chief said. “When a worker saw him he made a run for it and the worker slammed the door so he couldn’t cut and run.”

Porter was treated by emergency medical technicians from Citizen Hose Ambulance after being taken into custody, authorities said.