Guard Pleads Innocent to Arson : Crime: The attorney for the Universal Studios security worker said an insanity defense is a possibility. His family says he was mentally disabled by exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

A security guard charged with starting the Election Day fire that swept through the Universal Studios back lot, causing $25 million in damage, pleaded not guilty Thursday.

After Michael J. Huston’s arraignment in Los Angeles Municipal Court, a prosecutor said investigators have collected physical evidence and witnesses’ statements that tie Huston to the fire but the motive behind the arson remains unclear.

The Nov. 6 fire damaged or destroyed about 20% of the sprawling complex’s exterior sets. It also damaged some of the attractions on Universal’s studio tour.

When the fire was reported about 7:30 p.m., Huston, 40, of Tujunga, was on duty as a security guard on the New York Street set, which had been used earlier in the day for the filming of a Sylvester Stallone movie called “Oscar.” Huston was arrested the next morning after several hours of questioning.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Jane Allison Blissert said Thursday that the fire was started with an open flame from a match or lighter in a storage room behind one of the facades on New York Street. She said the room was used by Universal employees to paint signs, and materials used in that process were set on fire by the arsonist.

“The evidence includes witnesses who saw him at the scene very shortly after the fire started,” Blissert said.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators have said that Huston, who was employed by Burns International Security Services, made “strong admissions” about his involvement in the fire when questioned and that Blissert said undisclosed physical evidence found at the fire scene also connects him to the arson.

Although a source close to the investigation said detectives are focusing on the possibility that Huston started the fire to report it and receive praise, Blissert said investigation of the motive is ongoing.

Huston’s family has described him as having a mental dmsability since being exposed to Agent Orange while serving in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, and suffering an electrical shock during a back-yard accident three years ago. The Veterans Administration has confirmed that Huston has been a patient but declined to reveal whether he was treated for mental illness.

However, Blissert said Huston is believed by authorities to have been capable of committing arson while fully understanding that it was a crime.

Huston’s attorney, Charles R. English, declined to comment on his client’s mental status but said he would look into the possibility of using an insanity defense if it is appropriate. He described Huston as upset and distraught but said that such behavior could have been brought on by his incarceration.

Huston spoke in court Thursday only to acknowledge that he understood his rights. He remains in County Jail in lieu of $300,000 bail.