A fire in Johnstown not only destroyed a historic building, it left a man homeless.

It's been about three weeks since fire ripped through Dr. Anthony Gergely's home. On Monday, investigators ruled the fire arson and charged a juvenile with setting it.

6 News has talked with Gergely several times since the fire and every time he's always full of encouragement. On Wednesday he was where he usually is, outside sorting through his things, still in a positive mood.

"There are serious things happening to people today right in our hospital. Very serious things," said Gergely. "That's something to be concerned about. This can be fixed."

State police have ruled the fire arson and have charged a 15-year-old boy, who Gergely has mentored the past two years.

"I kept him from getting in trouble. I kept him from messing around with dope or people breaking into cars," said Gergely. "I was teaching him."

Police said the boy admitted to throwing lit matches on a mattress to see if it would ignite.

"You know, there are pyromaniacs. Some people just love fire," said Gergely. "That little tube of starting fluid, the day before the fire he was squirting it with a cigarette lighter and the flame shot out two feet. He was playing with that."

Gergely said the boy was there helping him the day of the fire. He said he had left to get supplies and even buy dinner for the boy. When he returned, the house was up in flames.

"He had a key to my house. I trusted him completely," said Gergely. "It's disappointing for him, honestly. That's going to affect him the rest of his life one way or the other."

He admits he's had a tear hanging in the corner of his eye, but said he refuses to give into it.

"I'll always will be a lot more hesitant. I'll be truthful about that," said Gergely. "You can't live without trusting somebody. You (have to) trust somebody."

Gergely said he forgives the boy and won't hold a grudge. That boy has a hearing coming up in just a couple of days, but Gergely said he doesn't plan on showing up.