(a) A person is guilty of arson in the first degree when, with intent to destroy or damage a building, as defined in § 53a-100, he starts a fire or causes an explosion, and (1) the building is inhabited or occupied or the person has reason to believe the building may be inhabited or occupied; or (2) any other person is injured, either directly or indirectly; or (3) such fire or explosion was caused for the purpose of collecting insurance proceeds for the resultant loss; or (4) at the scene of such fire or explosion a peace officer or firefighter is subjected to a substantial risk of bodily injury.

Attorney's Note

Under the Connecticut General Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class A felonyup to 25 yearsup to $20,000
For details, see Conn. Gen. Stat.53a-35a

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Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 53a-111

  • Firefighter: means any agent of a municipality whose duty it is to protect life and property therein as a member of a duly constituted fire department whether professional or volunteer. See Connecticut General Statutes 53a-3
  • Peace officer: means a member of the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection or an organized local police department, a chief inspector or inspector in the Division of Criminal Justice, a state marshal while exercising authority granted under any provision of the general statutes, a judicial marshal in the performance of the duties of a judicial marshal, a conservation officer or special conservation officer, as defined in §. See Connecticut General Statutes 53a-3
  • Person: means a human being, and, where appropriate, a public or private corporation, a limited liability company, an unincorporated association, a partnership, a government or a governmental instrumentality. See Connecticut General Statutes 53a-3

(b) Arson in the first degree is a class A felony.