Firefighters were alerted around 7:40 a.m. to an alarm going off inside a residence at 4 Hall Ave. Crews encountered smoke inside a lower apartment, and later found Edwin S. Sanchez, 41, who was determined to be the sole occupant.

According to Jamestown police, Sanchez displayed a knife and waved it at the first responders before barricading himself inside a bathroom. The city man, with the assistance of officers from the Jamestown Police Department, was removed from the property and later transported to UPMC Chautauqua for treatment of smoke inhalation and minor cuts.

An investigation found that the fire inside the apartment had been intentionally set. Capt. Robert Samuelson of the Jamestown Police Department said quick thinking by a tenant inside another apartment prevented a dangerous situation from becoming worse.

“This was an extremely dangerous situation that was encountered by both the firefighters and then police who entered the apartment,” he said. “The officers at the scene were able to quickly and safely get the suspect to surrender from his barricaded position without incident.

The quick 911 call from the neighbor and quick response from the Jamestown Fire Department allowed for a quick containment and likely saved lives as the building did house four separate apartments that were all occupied at the time of the fire.”

No other injuries were reported. Firefighters remained on scene for a few hours, and traffic on Fairmount Avenue was slowed due to emergency vehicles in the area.

Sanchez was being held at the Jamestown City Jail on charges of second-degree arson, first-degree reckless endangerment, third-degree criminal mischief, obstructing firefighting operations and second-degree menacing.