An incident involving a homeless woman setting a fire that escalated to a building's roof has led to her arrest on charges of arson in Upland, as confirmed by local authorities. The Upland Police Department has reported that the incident occurred on Saturday, and they managed to apprehend the suspect following a review of surveillance footage. The video in question, which captured the woman igniting and then tossing a lit item into a dumpster near a building, was shared by the police department on social media.
Yesterday, a female transient who had been using drugs behind a building, threw a lit item into a dumpster. The dumpster fire embers then caught the building’s roof on fire, but was luckily knocked down before extensive damage. The female went to jail for arson. pic.twitter.com/9OcSYTGf8E
— Upland Police Department (@UplandPD) September 8, 2024
The dumpster's contents quickly caught flame, and embers from the fire were blown onto the roof of the adjacent structure. Crews were called to the scene to tackle the blaze and, despite the potential for extensive damage, were successful in knocking down the flames before the fire could further ravage the building according to police, the woman had been using drugs in the area directly preceding the ignition of the dumpster. This development adds another layer to the narrative of the fire, suggesting potential factors that may have influenced the woman's decision to start it.
KTLA detailed the sequence of events leading to her arrest, specifying that the Upland Police Department posted the surveillance video on Sunday, a day after the fire. This prompted a swift police response culminating in the woman's detention. As per the same report, she was subsequently booked for arson, a serious charge that carries the weight of legal implications for her actions.
In addition to the narrative provided by authorities and caught on video, the Upland Police Department Post offered a succinct summary of the event on their website, "Yesterday, a female transient who had been using drugs behind a building, threw a lit item into a dumpster." The post further explained the progression of the emergency and the containment, "The dumpster fire embers then caught the building’s roof on fire, but was luckily knocked down before extensive damage," and concluded with the outcome of the woman's actions, "The female went to jail for arson."
