Hope Mills man charged with arson

Hope Mills, N.C. — A Hope Mills man was charged Wednesday with setting two fires, authorities said.

Christopher Michael Williamson, 21, of 2937 Thrower Road, was charged with second-degree arson and burning certain buildings. He was being held in the Cumberland County jail under a $25,000 bond.

Arson investigators said Williamson set fire to a nearby abandoned home early Wednesday by using a cigarette lighter to ignite a pile of leaves. A short time later, firefighters were called to Williamson’s address after he set a section of grass on fire in front of the home, investigators said.