A former New Hampshire firefighter has been convicted of arson after starting two fires in abandoned buildings in 2022 and 2023, the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal announced.

Nathan G. Nichols, 19, of Weare, was found guilty Oct. 23 of criminal mischief and arson. Weare will be sentenced at a later date, but was ordered to pay restitution to the owners in both cases.

“Arson is not a victimless crime,” New Hampshire State Fire Marshal Toomey said in a statement. “I appreciate the work of the many investigators and prosecutors who helped bring this case to completion.”

The charges are related to multiple outside investigations into the 2022 and 2023 fires in Warner and Bradford, New Hampshire. Two of these incidents involved abandoned structures.

Officials arrested Weare on December 27, 2023 following a joint investigation by the New Hampshire Office of the Fire Marshal, the Bradford Police Department and the Bradford Fire Department.

Nichols previously worked as a firefighter in Bradford, according to Toomey’s office.

Rosemary Ford

Weekend editor

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Rosemary Ford is weekend editor at Boston.com.

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