PARIS — A man accused of burning down the Norway boarding house where he lived in May was indicted on an arson charge Friday.

Todd M. Fickett, 20, was charged with setting fire to the multi-story building at 467 Main St. on May 9. About a dozen tenants lost their possessions, but no one was injured. A tenant who was playing video games when the building began to fill with smoke alerted others to get out.

According to court documents, Fickett was admitted to Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta for observation and treatment.

His bail was set at $25,000 cash or $100,000 in property. A trial date hasn’t been set, but according to court documents his attorney, Maurice Porter, has requested a quick trial.

The police affidavit said Fickett admitted setting the fire. He told officer Daniel Young, an investigator with the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office, that he lit several books of matches in a trash can to create smoke. Fickett said he fell asleep in a recliner and when he woke up, the can had fallen over and the fire had spread across the floor, according to the affidavit.

He said he grabbed his jacket and keys and jumped out through a window. However, two witnesses who saw him running from the building said he had a backpack as well.

Witnesses told Young that Fickett had an argument with Jayson Hill, a  boarding house resident, about Fickett stealing food from him and that he’d demanded $20 for the food. Fickett allegedly told Hill “I’m going to kill you” when confronted about the food before leaving, according to the affidavit.

When firefighters arrived at the scene the building was engulfed in flames and they had spread to Ari’s Pizza & Subs next door.

Vira P. Micklon sold the burned-out boarding house to Ari’s owner Christopher Farrar, who tore it down and built a parking lot.

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