CECIL COUNTY, Md. — A Warwick man faces arson charges following a series of fires at a farm in Cecil County.
At 4 a.m. on Friday, firefighters with the Cecilton Volunteer Fire Company and surrounding departments responded to the 1100 block of Middleneck Road for reports of a shed fire.
Firefighters found the shed fully engulfed in flames, with fire extending into additional sheds, a chicken coop, and a pickup truck.
The fire was later contained, with firefighters preventing it from spreading further to the home and a nearby large garage.
Investigators determined that 67-year-old Wallace Pleasanton, who lives at the farm with his 96-year-old mother, was allegedly responsible for setting the fires.
During the investigation, it was determined that the fire originated in the shed and was intentionally set.
Evidence of multiple prior fires that had been set and either extinguished or allowed to burn out was also found at the scene.
Deputies with the Cecil County Sheriff's Office assisted the Office of the State Fire Marshal in taking Pleasanton into custody.
Pleasanton was previously charged in January 2026 after investigators found he purposely set his mother's John Deere utility vehicle on fire while it was in the garage.
He is charged with second-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning, and malicious destruction of property over $1,000.
"We recognize the impact incidents like this have on families, especially when they occur at a home," said Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray. "We hope today's arrest brings some sense of relief and allows the family, particularly his mother, to begin to feel at peace."
Officials say Pleasanton is currently being held at the Cecil County Detention Center without bond.
