A restaurant employee was charged with starting a fire that killed two of his neighbors _ one of 15 apparently random blazes that were set within a 75-minute period, terrorizing residents of this western Massachusetts college town.

Anthony P. Baye, 25, was arrested late Monday on two counts of murder and one count each of arson and armed burglary, and was ordered held without bail following his arraignment Tuesday. If convicted, he could face life in prison with no chance for parole.

Baye was caught on surveillance video in the area on the night of the Dec. 27 fire, which contradicted his alibi that he was visiting his girlfriend, prosecutors said in Northampton District Court.

The blaze killed Paul Yeskie Sr., 81, and his son Paul Yeskie Jr., 39. District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel said Baye entered their front porch through an unlocked door with a lighter. She did not say whether Baye knew the Yeskies.

Baye's public defender, Alan Rubin, declined to comment after his client entered a not guilty plea. A woman who answered the phone at the Baye home also declined to comment.

Baye was not charged with the other fires, but Scheibel said she anticipated bringing more charges.

The district attorney would not divulge a motive for the fires other than to say "it appears to have been a random spree." She would not say whether investigators suspected anyone else of involvement.

Court documents said Baye worked at the Sierra Grille, a popular city restaurant. A sign on the restaurant's door said it was closed until Jan. 8, but the closing was apparently unrelated to the fires or the arrest.

Ben Lombardi, 29, a neighbor of Baye's who had also worked with him in the past at Sierra Grille, was shocked to learn of the arrest.

"When I heard the name, I was blown away," Lombardi said. "He's a good kid and it's a bit sad to see his name dropped in the papers."

Northampton, a city of some 30,000 residents, had been left reeling by the blazes. Four homes, one garage and 10 cars were torched in the early-morning hours two days after Christmas.

The arrest brought some sense of relief.

"I'm happy they arrested someone and did it quickly," said Chris Jasinski, a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts who grew up in Northampton and lives two doors down from the Yeskies' home.

"I feel safer. I just hope there is going to be justice for this," he said.

In the wake of the fires, residents packed community meetings and community groups offered rewards for information leading to an arrest. State and federal investigators were called in to help with the investigation and Gov. Deval Patrick interrupted his Christmas vacation to reassure the city.