UPPER MARLBORO, Md. -- A woman has been charged with arson in connection with a fire that broke out in downtown Upper Marlboro and damaged several businesses and left three people homeless.
According to Mark Brady, spokesman for the Prince George's County Fire Department, the blaze broke out around 1:30 a.m. in a 3-story commercial building in the 14700 block of Main Street near the intersection of Elm Street. Fire crews encountered heavy flames on arrival, causing the response to escalate to three alarms.
Police arrested 26-year-old Jessica Poole and charged her for starting the fire. She was a former employee of the business and had recently been fired, according to police.
Brady says it took approximately 100 firefighters to bring the flames under control around 3:00 a.m.
One firefighter had to be treated at the scene for heat exhaustion, however no other injuries have been reported, Brady said.
According to Brady, several businesses and three apartments have sustained significant damage. The occupants of the upstairs apartments were able to escape safely, and are being assisted by the Prince George's County Office of Emergency Management Citizen Services Unit as well as the Red Cross.
So far there is no word on what may have caused the blaze, which is under investigation. Damage estimates are still being calculated.
