A woman has been charged with arson following a fire Friday morning at a duplex on Barrie Road in Orillia.
When emergency crews responded to the scene, they were told the fire had been started deliberately, Orillia OPP said in a news release.
At 1:27 p.m., police made an arrest at an address on West Street North.
Amber Dawn Johnston, 28, of no fixed address, has been charged with arson (disregard for human life) and failure to comply with a probation order. She was held for a bail hearing.
At approximately 7 a.m. on Friday morning, the Orillia Fire Department received a call reporting a structure fire. Upon arrival, firefighters found that the occupants had already managed to suppress most of the flames and the fire was confined to the front vestibule area of the duplex.
“The residents had knocked the fire down, and we just finished extinguishing it,” said Orillia Fire Chief Chris Ferry. “It was a small fire inside, and they’ll be able to stay in the residence.”
Ferry confirmed the cause of the fire is considered suspicious and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have taken over the investigation, classifying it as an arson case.
