Employee allegedly sets fire at McDonald’s restaurant in Ogdensburg

OGDENSBURG, New York (WWNY) - So what happens when you take a BIC lighter to hand sanitizer? For one employee at the McDonald’s restaurant in Ogdensburg, it means an arson arrest.

It all started shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday at the McDonald’s on Paterson Street.

City firefighters were called there for a report of a fire, which prompted customers and workers to evacuate the restaurant.

There were no injuries and the fire caused minimal damage.

Meanwhile, city police arrested 44-year-old Christian Iuraduri of Ogdensburg on a felony count of fourth-degree arson.

Police said Iuraduri, a maintenance worker at McDonald’s, told them he wanted to see what would happen if he set fire to some hand sanitizer that had leaked onto a cart.

According to police, Iuraduri said he used a BIC lighter to touch the flame to the sanitizer and couldn’t douse the fire by himself.

The restaurant’s sensors triggered the fire suppression system, police said.

Iuraduri was issued an appearance ticket to be arraigned in Ogdensburg City Court at a later date.

According to police, the McDonald’s restaurant is closed but employees hope to have everything cleaned up so they can reopen in time for dinner.