A Portsmouth man accused of starting a fire that significantly damaged several condominiums in Newport faced a judge Friday morning. Joseph Fragata, 56, was arraigned on an arson charge and ordered held without bail.

PROVIDENCE – A Portsmouth, R.I., man is accused of arson after a fire broke out at a condominium complex on Thursday, according to police. Joseph Fragata was arrested hours after the blaze at Misty Harbor Condominiums at 26 West Narragansett Ave., in Newport, R.I., city police said in a statement.

The Newport Police Department said a man was arrested for allegedly starting a fire at a condominium complex on Thursday morning. Joseph Fragata, of Portsmouth, was charged with First Degree arson. Firefighters responded to the Misty Harbor Condominiums around 4 a.

A Portsmouth man accused of setting a fire that damaged multiple condominiums in Newport's 5th Ward faced a judge Friday morning.

A Portsmouth man accused of arson in a condominium fire in Newport faced a judge Friday. Joseph Fragata faces charges of first-degree arson and related stalking charges. Investigators said they found an accelerant near the origin of a fire early Thursday at the Misty Harbor Condominiums on Grafton Street.