A 14-year-old girl has been arrested in connection with a fire that occurred at a Walmart in Peachtree City, Georgia, on August 24.
The girl admitted to starting the fire after authorities conducted a search warrant of her home, according to the Peachtree Police Department via 11 Alive. She was charged with first-degree arson.
Police are still investigating what the girl’s motivation was for her alleged role in starting the fire or if it was part of a group activity.
Authorities were notified of the fire at approximately 7:20 p.m. on August 24 at the Walmart located at 2717 West Hwy 54, according to Peachtree City Police and Fire officials.
Emergency personnel rushed inside the building to ensure that no one was trapped inside. Dramatic body camera footage captured police officers walking around inside the smoke-filled Walmart.
An officer can be heard yelling, “Anybody else in here? Everybody out!”
Three police officers were treated for smoke inhalation injuries after entering the building but were released from the hospital later that evening.
No one was seriously injured as a result of the fire.
Peachtree City Fire Department firefighters, along with Coweta County, Fayetteville, and Fayette County Fire Departments, battled the blaze until around 4:00 a.m. the next morning. There was significant damage to the interior of the store and the roof.
Officials noted that the store’s sprinkler system was working properly and aided firefighters in battling the blaze.
“The Peachtree City Police Department would like to applaud the efforts of all city employees, Walmart associates and the citizens of the surrounding area for working together to help solve this case,” stated police spokesperson Lt. Christopher Hyatt via the Atlanta-Constitution Journal.
Peachtree City is located approximately 31 miles south of Atlanta.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.