Annie Durham, 60, allegedly lit a rag on fire on June 10 and tossed it over her fence into her neighbor's vacant house, setting the building on fire, according to Del City Fire Department officials.
Fire crews arrived and doused the flames, then began investigating the incident. They noticed security cameras on Durham’s home and asked to view the video. She eventually consented, fire officials said.
Investigators soon learned that, not only was there a long-simmering feud between Durham and her neighbor, they identified the homeowner on her own security cam footage as the arsonist, according to a media release from the Fire Department.
Authorities in Del City say one person has been arrested for arson after officials investigated a recent house fire. https://t.co/NMZ1PB8B73
— KFOR (@kfor) June 18, 2019
Officials said responding to the fire in the abandoned home was a dangerous venture for the firefighters, who discovered 8 feet of water in the house’s basement.
"This posed a serious safety risk to the firefighters on scene, who had they entered in full black-out conditions, could have easily fallen down the stairs to the basement full of water," officials said in the press release.
“The senseless actions of this person placed the lives of innocent neighbors and responding firefighters at serious risk,” the officials said.
Durham was arrested Monday on arson charges and is still in custody, police said.
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