SOUTH PARIS — A resident of a Norway apartment building that was destroyed by fire in August has been charged with arson.
Katrina A. O’Connor submitted photo
Katrina A. O’Connor, 29, of 17 Deering St. lived at the five-unit building that was severely damaged in the early afternoon of Aug. 27.
An Oxford County grand jury indicted O’Connor on Friday for a charge of arson, a felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
O’Connor told the first officer who arrived at the fire scene that she had poured gasoline on her mattress and lit it, according to an affidavit.
Police had also spoken to a tenant in the building who said O’Connor had reportedly asked whether her children were out of the building because she was going to light her mattress on fire.
One woman was injured and at least six people were displaced, officials said.
More than a dozen area fire departments assisted the local department in fighting the fire, finally bringing the blaze under control about three hours later.
The building was apparently not equipped with sprinklers, local officials said.
Firefighters from more than a dozen area departments respond to a five-alarm fire Aug. 27 at 17 Deering St. in downtown Norway. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
Only two of the building’s five apartments were occupied and every resident got out safely, according to a spokeswoman at the Maine Department of Public Safety.
The property is owned by Northeast Rental Housing and assessed at $120,300, according to Norway’s 2022 tax commitment map.
O’Connor was charged with arson after an investigation by the Maine Office of State Fire Marshal.
She is being held at Oxford County Jail in lieu of $15,000 cash bail.
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