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Homeless man charged in Wahiawa fire

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STAR-ADVERTISER FILE Firefighters responded to a single-story structure fire Nov. 26 at Jetso Auto Shop on Palm St. in Wahiawa.

A 56-year-old homeless man, who fire investigators said used an accelerant to start a fire at a Wahiawa auto body shop last week, was charged Thursday with first-degree arson.

Bail for Arthur Galavan was set at $100,000.

Galavan was arrested at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Castle Medical Center where he had been taken for a psychological evaluation.

On Thanksgiving Day, a witness said they saw him leave the building at the Jetso Auto Center on Palm Street after the fire started at 3:37 p.m. Nov. 26.

The building fire resulted in damage of nearly $600,000, $480,000 to the structure, $100,000 to its contents and an additional $10,000 to vehicles located outside the structure on the property, according to fire officials.

It took eight fire companies with 34 personnel about a half-hour to to extinguish the fire.

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