LINCOLN – State Fire Marshal investigators on Tuesday arrested and charged a 19-year-old Springfield man with arson in connection with a downtown fire that destroyed two Main Street buildings and displaced six businesses Jan. 20.

Wayne R. Osborne is the first of a number of suspects expected to be arrested as a result of the investigation, according to State Fire Marshal John Dean.

Officials are being tight-lipped about the case, but said they believe the fire was “financially motivated” and hinted it was arson for hire.

“We know from the evidence developed so far there are other people involved,” said Sgt. Stewart Jacobs, the state fire investigation supervisor. “We will continue to pursue the evidence that more clearly identifies what their role is.” He declined to say how many others may be involved.

Jacobs said the investigation includes trying to answer the simple question of who benefited from the fire. “We have developed information that strongly suggests a financial motivation,” he said. Jacobs declined to comment further.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Roberts said Osborne’s arrest was based on statements he made indicating he was involved in the fire, the second of two fires to strike Lincoln’s downtown that week. The earlier fire, which occurred Jan. 17, was ruled accidental.

“There seems to be an indication that others may have been involved [in the arson fire] as well and we will continue to investigate that,” said Roberts. “There seems to be an indication from Mr. Osborne that there were payments made for setting the fire.”

According to a court document, Osborne admitted to investigators he had picked up a person not named in the document at a Lincoln residence and driven the person to the Lake Mall to burn a building. “Wayne Osborne admitted the subject entered the building,” the document stated. “Wayne said the subject came running out moments later saying, ‘Go go, I lit the mall on fire.”‘ Then the two fled. “Wayne said that the subject told him that they were paid by a friend to start the fire.”

Officials said the fire started in the basement of the Ayer building, directly adjacent to the basement stairs, which are the same stairs leading to an open door where the fire was first spotted. Investigators concluded that the fire was started with the use of an “open flame device.” Such devices include matches and lighters.

Roberts said this was a substantial case because of the amount of damage done and the risks people were placed in. “This is among the more serious arsons we deal with,” he said.

The arson fire claimed the three-level Lake Mall owned by Robert Enochs and another building owned by Eugene Ayer, which housed three businesses. It wiped out about 22,800 square feet of retail and office space. Local officials estimate replacement costs alone to be more than $858,000. The estimate does not include lost inventory or lost wages.

Roberts said the Class A felony charge of arson can carry a maximum penalty of up to 40 years in jail.

Osborne was arrested shortly after 3:30 p.m. in Lincoln by state fire investigators and was taken to Penobscot County Jail in Bangor where he remained Tuesday night. Bail was set at $5,000 with one surety, or $1,000 cash.

Tuesday’s arrest follows three months of intense investigation, but state fire officials say more investigative work needs to be done.

“It was a significant event in a community that size. We paid a lot of attention to it and will continue to do so until we have a final resolution in a court,” Dean said.

Jacobs said there are people who believe that arson is no more than a property crime, but that certainly is not the case. He said the Jan. 20 fire represented a significant danger to an unidentified woman who had been working after hours in the mall. He said the woman’s office had filled with smoke and ceiling tiles were falling down around her. She managed to escape unharmed. “She certainly had quite an experience there for a few minutes,” Jacobs said.

It took nearly 100 firefighters from seven departments about 26 hours to put the Jan. 20 fire completely out.

Early in the investigation state fire officials were assisted by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and agents from the Federal Crimes Task Force and Maine State Police detectives. Fire investigators Jacobs and Ed Archer have been assisted by state police Detective Brian Strout.

The cause of the previous fire, which destroyed two buildings and wiped out four businesses Jan. 17, was ruled to have been started by an overheated extension cord.

Both fires wiped out about 34,000 square feet of Lincoln’s downtown retail and office space.

In contrast to the shock that rocked Lincoln after the fires in January, business owners Tuesday expressed relief that the investigation has yielded results.

Lake Mall owner Enochs said he was relieved to know that the person who did it would be put away so this would not happen again. “I don’t know what would motivate someone to do something like this,” he said.

Susan Custis, the owner of AMB Video, said the news was awesome. “I’m so glad,” she said.

Gordon and Lynn Pratt, the owners of Pratt’s Hodge Podge Shop, said once they learned the fire had been intentionally set, they were concerned about the other Main Street business owners.

“I was very impressed with the state fire investigators,” said Gordon Pratt. ” I don’t know what they get paid, but they certainly earn their money.”

The Pratts said they hope the person arrested gets some help.