PORTLAND — The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard worker accused of setting fire to a nuclear submarine is due in federal court Wednesday.

Casey James Fury, 24, is charged with two counts of arson in connection with the May 23 fire at the shipyard in Kittery. Fury, of Portsmouth, N.H., faces up to life in prison if convicted.

Fury is scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge John Rich on Wednesday for hearings that will address bail conditions and whether the government had probable cause to arrest him.

The fire caused an estimated $400 million worth of damage to the USS Miami, which was in the midst of a 20-month overhaul at the time. Seven people were injured in the blaze, which was put out by firefighters from three states.

Navy investigators identified Fury, a painter and sandblaster, as a suspect after a second fire at the shipyard June 16. That fire involved alcohol cleaning wipes on dry dock scaffolding supporting the submarine.

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