BATON ROUGE - A man was arrested Tuesday morning and accused of setting a house fire in February.

The Baton Rouge Fire Department said Donte Francis, 27, was arrested for one count of simple arson Tuesday. 

Francis was accused of setting fire to a small pile of trash and leaves near a home on Topaz Drive off Winbourne Avenue on Feb. 13. The fire damaged the home's attic as well as the fence separating it from the neighboring property. 

"We take incidents of arson very seriously, as they pose significant risks to public safety and property," Fire Chief Michael Kimble said. "Our investigators will continue to pursue and arrest anyone who acts out and puts our community and its residents at risk."