Nashville Fire Department Investigators Arrest Downtown Arsonist
1/8/2021
Joseph Pleasant; Public Information Office
Joshua Baker admits to setting multiple fires prior to New Year’s Eve arrest
Nashville Fire Department
Investigators charged Joshua Baker, 39, with Felony Arson for setting a fire at
215 6th Avenue North in downtown Nashville on December 31, 2020.
The NFD responded to a fire at 215 6th Avenue North,
Nashville, TN. Fire crews found multiple fires on the second floor of the
building. The area is used mostly for storage.
NFD crews extinguished the fire and the building sustained
extensive internal damage.
EMS division personnel on scene advised NFD Fire
Investigators they were treating a man who told them he caused the fire.
Fire investigators interviewed Baker on the scene. Baker
told investigators he set the fire. Baker also said he had set fires in building
before “maybe 10 times.”
During the New Year’s Eve investigation NFD Fire Investigators
found multiple fire sites. They found places in the bathroom, near a rear wall,
in a trash can and in a mini refrigerator Baker set fires.
NFD investigators arrested Baker and charged him with Felony
Arson. He remains in custody at the Davidson County Detention Center on $75,000
bond.
The crime of arson is one of the costliest human-made
disasters. Arson indirectly contributes to increased insurance premiums, higher
medical costs, lost jobs, lost income, and the increased costs of fire
services.
The NFD needs your help to combat this serious crime.
If you have information about an arson call the Nashville Fire Department
Arson Hotline at 615-862-5640.
You can also call the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 1-800-762-3017.
The hotline is answered 24 hours a day. You can remain anonymous when
providing information.
Cash awards up to $5,000 are paid for information leading to an arrest or
conviction.
