The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A Wisconsin woman was accused of accidentally starting a massive fire at an abandoned warehouse that reportedly caused nearly $1 million in damage and led to the demolition of the building.
According to a criminal complaint, the fire broke out on May 20 at a condemned four-story warehouse in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Fire Department reportedly responded after several 911 callers reported smoke coming from the structure around 6:10 p.m. Because the building had been declared unsafe to enter, firefighters battled the blaze from outside the property. The fire later grew into a five-alarm fire, and part of the structure collapsed. The damage was so severe that the building eventually had to be torn down.
The authorities said surveillance footage showed four people arriving at the property earlier that afternoon. Investigators said the group, made up of one woman and three men, entered the property around 4:19 p.m. and stayed there for more than an hour. At one point, a witness allegedly confronted the group and told them to leave the private property, and they were later seen walking away.
During the investigation, another witness allegedly provided the authorities with Snapchat messages that appeared to reference the fire. According to the complaint, the woman allegedly sent a message saying she “may or may not” have accidentally started the fire. She also allegedly sent a separate photo showing the fire after it had spread.
The authorities later took the 22-year-old woman into custody and questioned her about the incident. According to investigators, she admitted that she and her friends had gone onto the roof of the warehouse. She allegedly told investigators that she threw a lit cigarette through a hole in the roof before the group later noticed smoking debris with visible embers below. The group reportedly tried to stomp out the smoking area before leaving the property because they believed the fire had been extinguished.
The woman was arrested on May 22 and charged with negligent handling of burning material. She later appeared in court, where she was ordered not to possess smoking materials while the case remained pending.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.