COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — A 51-year-old woman told investigators she intentionally set her house on fire with her mother in the residence earlier this week.
According to court documents, multiple neighbors in Hilliard called emergency services at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday to report a fire on the 4700 block of Hillcrest St N. Norwich Township firefighters responded and extinguished the blaze, which left the residence uninhabitable. The Red Cross was called to provide support.
Ellen Renee Worley and her 82-year-old mother, Barbara Reed, were inside the home when the fire began. Worley admitted to an HPD detective that she knowingly and intentionally started the fire. She recounted going to a nearby gas station, purchasing approximately $55 worth of gasoline, and returning to the residence.
Worley placed a t-shirt in the bathroom sink and lit it on fire, but it went out. She then used a lighter to ignite a bandana, dropped it on the bedroom floor, and poured gasoline around the room before placing the gas container next to the burning bandana. Worley watched the fire grow before evacuating her mother and herself from the home, according to court documents.
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The heavy smoke forced neighbors to evacuate and spend the night at a hotel. The high heat melted the entire east wall of siding at another neighbor’s house, causing property damage valued over $1,000…