A man has been charged with arson for the fire in Mahanoy City Thursday.

The Mahanoy City Police Department charged Brendon Hasara, 49, of Mahanoy City, for the fire in the 1000 block of East Pine St.

He was arraigned this morning by District Magistrate David Rossi and is in Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $150,000 straight cash bail. A preliminary hearing is set for 11 a.m. Dec. 2 in Rossi’s office. He is charged with six charges of arson and causing a catastrophe, five counts of recklessly endangering another person, and one count each of resisting arrest and defiant trespass.

Mahanoy City Fire Chief Dan Markiewicz said the fire is “definitely arson.” He said the origin of the fire is the first floor of 1017 E. Pine St., a conclusion reached by the fire department, police department and fire marshal Joe Hall of the state police at Frackville.

The call for the second-alarm fire came in to the Schuylkill County Communications Center at 9:26 p.m. Markiewicz said six homes were damaged, three gutted and three habitable.

Between six and 12 people were displaced, he said.