BATON ROUGE — A man accused of setting fire to the second story of a Cotton Street home was arrested for arson.

Baton Rouge Fire officials said Wednesday that 68-year-old Anthony Gandy was arrested for negligent arson.

Firefighters responded to the fire near the corner of Cotton Street and Thomas H. Delpit Drive around 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 2. The home was considered a total loss due to heavy smoke and water damage.

The home's owner is still trying to rebuild after the fire. Alphonso Potter said that he is salvaging what was left behind after he said Gandy, who he identified as a squatter, likely started the fire to keep warm.

The home was vacant while Potter was renovating the building. Potter said the renovation will take much longer and add to the issues that Potter and his family are dealing with, namely issues with his father's health.

Gandy, who originally misidentified himself to investigators, was also booked on obstruction of justice. Gandy also suffered minor injuries and declined transport to the hospital.