OLD ORCHARD BEACH – Fire Chief Ricky Plummer has been arrested and charged with arson in connection with a 7-alarm brush and woods fire April 15 that temporarily forced the evacuation of several homes and a condominium complex.

Plummer, 59, who began his tenure in Old Orchard Beach in September 2014, was arrested early this morning at his mother-in-law’s home in Scarborough, according to Maine Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland, in a statement issued at 2:30 a.m.  Plummer has been charged with starting a fire that burned about 42 acres in the town he had pledged to protect.

 About a dozen investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Maine Forest Service arrived in Old Orchard Beach with search warrants Friday afternoon and seized computers at the fire station and in the fire chief’s town-owned car, along with Plummer’s cell phone. Plummer was then interviewed, McCausland said. Afterwards, investigators consulted with the York County District Attorney’s Office, which authorized the arson charge against him.

Plummer arrested at about 2 a.m. and was taken to Cumberland County Jail. His bail was set at $10,000, McCausland said.

Plummer came to Old Orchard Beach after stints in North Yarmouth, Biddeford, Gray and Standish, as well as Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Marlborough, Massachusetts; and Cocoa, Florida and was chosen as fire chief from among 30 applicants, said Town Manager Larry Mead in 2014, when Plummer was hired.

 Now, authorities allege he started the fire that prompted the temporary evacuation of homes and buildings on Walnut Street and East Grand Avenue after fire swept through dune grass in an area known as Jones Creek Marsh. It took about 100 firefighters from several communities about two hours to put out the blaze. Authorities say the wind-whipped brush fire reached heights of up to 30 feet and came within 100 feet of one condominium complex.

“The winds were unbelievable,” said Plummer in an interview at the scene on that day. “The fire was going past us like a freight train.”

No buildings were damaged, and no one was injured. Smoke from the fire could be seen as far away as Interstate 95, and debris and smoke permeated the air several blocks away from the blaze.

McCausland said Plummer’s first court appearance will likely be determined early next week.