ACTON — A barking dog awoke a lakeside couple to a man who was walking on their deck Wednesday night ”“ and the barking may have saved their cottage from fire.

Sgt. Joel Davis of the State Fire Marshal’s Office said arson charges are pending against a man who was taken to the hospital in protective custody that night as 80 firefighters from 10 Maine and New Hampshire communities raced to put out seven fires. All of the fires were within about a two-mile radius of the H Road and the narrow dirt roadways that snake around Great East Lake.

No charges had been filed as of press time this morning.

Davis on Thursday said investigators were preparing warrants and presenting information to the York County District Attorney’s Office for their review.

Five investigators and a sergeant from the fire marshal’s office converged on this small town near the New Hampshire border overnight Wednesday into Thursday as the fire calls just kept coming. All in all, authorities say seven fires were started: Two houses were destroyed, another house sustained very minor damage, a car was torched, along with a pontoon boat and a shed, and firefighters also coped with a woods fire.

Ken and Cathie Bridwell, who live in New Jersey, drove up this week to open their cottage on Great East Lake. They were awakened about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday night when their dog, Deezle, began barking.

She said her husband saw a man walking on their deck and then down the stairs, who then ducked under the dock that had been raised up out of the lake for the winter. She said her husband called 911, and it wasn’t long before authorities came to investigate.

“There were flame marks on our shingles,” said Bridwell, from where a cigarette lighter had apparently been used to try and start a fire.

Davis, in a news conference outside Acton Fire Station Thursday afternoon, said he wasn’t prepared to go into details on a possible motive for the apparent arson fires; he said they all appeared to be random.

Davis said the suspect has relatives in Acton, but is not believed to personally have a permanent Acton residence.

He was taken to the hospital for medical evaluation and for cuts he sustained and is in protective custody, said Davis.

Maine State Police and York County Sheriff’s Office deputies were on the fire scenes early and Davis said Sanford Police sent two officers to assist when the fire marshal’s office asked for help.

He said authorities developed a description of the man and secured a parameter and then located the man, whom he said required medical help at about 2 a.m.

Davis said the man was found “relatively close” to one of the fires.

Bridwell praised the efforts of the authorities who responded to their call for help.

And she has praise, too, for Deezle.

“She is a very bright dog. She was adamant we get up,” she said.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 or twells@journaltribune.com.