Man arrested for allegedly setting fire to medical clinic

A 61-year-old man was arrested for allegedly setting a fire that damaged a medical clinic in South San Francisco on New Year’s Day, police said.

The fire was reported at 7:21 a.m. at 935 El Camino Real, the location of a satellite clinic for the Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, fire officials said.

Fire crews responded and were able to extinguish the blaze about an hour later. The building was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported, South San Francisco Fire Battalion Chief Matthew Samson said.

Police said witnesses reported seeing a man walk from the rear of the structure as it burned and they pointed him out to officers.

Investigators determined the man, later identified as 61-year-old transient John Anthony Morgan, had set two fires to the back of the business and one ignited the building, police said.

Morgan was arrested on suspicion of unlawfully causing a fire to a structure and was booked into county jail in Redwood City, police said.