A man faced a judge after investigators alleged a chemistry experiment got out of control and set a Long Island apartment building hallway on fire, forcing dozens of people to evacuate their homes.
Nolan Gaugler left court free without bail on Monday and without offering any explanation for the flames that were sparked before dawn the day before.
It was not entirely clear what exactly the 34-year-old was doing — or trying to do — that sparked the fire in the hallway outside his Mineola apartment, though investigators said it was a result of a chemical concoction.
“He had a runaway chemical reaction he was trying to dispose of, and he ran into the hallway. He dropped it in the hallway, and it ignited, and lit the hallway on fire,” said Assistant Chief Mike Mennella, of the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Gaugler had a makeshift chemical lab inside the third-floor bedroom, according to Mennella. That amateur lab included flammable liquids, acids and poisons, investigators said, as well as gas masks and a homemade ventilation system outside his window.
While the fire marshal said Gaugler was just tinkering with chemicals, a felony complaint against him indicated a mason jar was found with an explosive compound inside. The jar and its contents had to be detonated by the Nassau County police arson bomb squad.
“Just seemed like a guy into chemistry at two o’clock in the morning,” said Chief Michael Uttaro. “Of course it was dangerous. You’re mixing chemicals in an apartment building.”
The fire forced the evacuation of 47 apartments for over four hours early Sunday morning. Fortunately the damage was limited and no one was hurt, but neighbors still have yet to be told what Gaugler was doing.
“How you gonna know what someone is doing in the privacy of their home? Was he cooking meth? Who knows,” said Anthony Monferrato, who lives in the building. “People are nuts. They’re going to be nuts anywhere.”
Adding to residents’ concerns: Gaugler is a convicted felon out on parole. The county district attorney’s office said he served prison time for taking part in a 2011 robbery in Freeport that ended in a murder. Gaugler was not charged with that shooting.
Gaugler faces arson charges. Attorney information for him was not immediately available.
