GORHAM – Gorham police have arrested a woman suspected of starting a kitchen fire at 4:15 a.m. on Feb. 25 at a group home in Gorham.

Investigators have identified the suspect as Danielle Jenness, 28, a resident of the Granite Bay Group Home on Shaws Mills Road. Gorham’s police and fire departments along with the state fire marshal’s office investigated the fire.

“Evidence at the scene confirmed that combustible material were intentionally ignited on the kitchen stove and positioned for the fire to quickly spread to the adjacent counter top and cupboard area,” Detective Sgt. Dana Thompson said in a report,

When firefighters arrived, a staff member at the home had extinguished the fire that did spread, according to police.

Jenness was charged with arson and aggravated criminal mischief. Police said she was taken to Cumberland County Jail in Portland. Police said there were no injuries and estimated damage at $1,000, and no other suspects are believed to be involved.

In an unrelated incident on Jan. 9, Jenness had been reported missing from the group home but was located by the Portland Police Department.

Police said Monday’s fire marked the second arson at a Granite Bay Group Home in Gorham in the past seven months. In August, Jeremy Crouse was arrested on an arson charge after a fire caused extensive structural damage at another group home on Green Street.

In October, authorities charged a University of Southern Maine student with setting three fires inside his dormitory on the Gorham campus.

Jordan D. Maroon, 20, of Winslow, a junior at the university, was arrested and charged with three counts of arson.

Last spring, Gorham was targeted by a string of five arson fires and another one ruled as suspicious.

“We don’t feel it (Monday’s fire) is related to the string of spring serial arson fires in 2012,” Thompson said.

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