A local man has been charged with arson after allegedly trying to burn down a house owned by his brother.

Jesse James III allegedly set fire to 402 Springs Ave in Steubenville.

A 911 call to authorities stated that the sounds of breaking glass was heard and a man was trying to kick in the side door.

As officers got close to the scene, smoke was billowing outside of the second floor rear window.

Witnesses said they saw James using a flag pole to break the glass out of the side door of the house.

James’s brother, who was out of town, is the owner of the house, and told police James had been staying there. 

A witness to the incident, Joshua Grose, alleges he saw James taking a flag connected to a pole from the rear of a property and yelled at him. James ignored him the walked up Spring Avenue.

Grose said he heard a commotion, not long after, and when he looked out the window, saw smoke billowing out of the Spring Avenue home. Then Grose stated that James passed him a few minutes later, minus the flag, and was allegedly yelling threats to “kill people and burn them down.”

Documents from police account that in a first floor room, the flag was partially burned, along with some window curtains, cardboard and a piece of mail.

Police stated that firefighters on the scene investigated the cause and believe that an accelerant was used “in the upstairs bedroom where the fire started.”