Chicopee woman charged with arson following Belcher Street fire
Department of Fire Services Public Information Officer Jake Wark stated in a news release that Chicopee fire crews responded to 26 Belcher Street after 3:30 a.m. on Sunday for reports of a structure fire. Firefighters found the three-story, multi-family home in flames.
Residents of ten units without home following Chicopee fire
Chicopee crews were able to assist in evacuating all residents, as well as rescuing two pets Sunday morning. A third pet was rescued from the building on Monday after neighbors noticed it in a third-floor window. Firefighters worked to put out the fire for over two hours, with the building sustaining severe fire, smoke, and water damage as a result.
State and local fire officials began investigating the cause of the fire and determined that it had begun in a second-floor bathroom. Investigators found through evidence and witness interviews that the fire had been intentionally set.
Chicopee and state police officers identified 40-year-old Michelle Hall of Chicopee as a suspect connected to the fire. Hall had allegedly been involved in an altercation at the building before the fire took place. She was arrested Sunday evening and charged with arson.
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