Fythian "Junior" Phillips (Jail photo)

LAMPASAS (November 28, 2012)--A Central Texas man has been arrested in connection with a fire that severely damaged a Lampasas restaurant at which he had recently been hired.

Lampasas police, in a news release issued Wednesday, said Fythian "Junior" Phillips, 40, was arrested at around 1 p.m. Tuesday in Killeen on a Lampasas warrant charging arson.

The news release said Killeen police, the Killeen Fire Marshal's office, Lampasas police and the Lampasas Fire Department coordinated on both the investigation of the Nov. 18 fire at the Lucky Ranch Grill and on Phillips' arrest.

The news release said Phillips was taken to the Bell County Jail, but his name did not appear on an online list of inmates Wednesday afternoon.

Assistant Lampasas Police Chief Sammy Bailey told News 10 Phillips had only recently been hired at the restaurant.

The Lucky Ranch Grill, at 311 East Third St. in Lampasas was closed at the time of the fire, which was reported at around 10:20 p.m. Nov. 18.

Lampasas Fire Chief Terry Lindsey said firefighters got the fire under control quickly and were able to prevent the flames from spreading throughout the building as well as to other structures in the area.

Lindsey said the inside of the structure on the southeast side suffered the heaviest damage from fire and heat.

Lampasas police and fire investigators remained at the scene throughout the night and investigators from the state fire marshal's office arrived Monday to investigate the blaze.

Firefighters said at the time that they believed the blaze was intentionally set.