UPDATE (1:28 a.m. on Wednesday, May 3): The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office says the estimated property damages of a home destroyed in an arson fire this morning are expected to exceed $319,000.
According to the KCSO, the incident began around 1:25 a.m. this morning, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. The Lakewood Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene in the River Park Circle area of St. Albans where multiple vehicles and buildings had caught fire. The call originally came in as a single vehicle on fire, dispatchers said, but the fire quickly spread to three other vehicles, two homes and an outbuilding.
Deputies say the suspect, identified as Donna Hall, 54, of Lower Falls Road in St. Albans was alleged to be in the immediate vicinity of the fires and had allegedly been inside the Jaguar where the initial fire is believed to have originated. The KCSO says before the fire started, Hall was allegedly on the porch of one the homes.
Through the investigation, deputies say they also learned Hall was allegedly “found to be in possession of fire producing materials” and “had markings on her hands consistent with fire ash.” The KCSO says they also suspect Hall was allegedly “under the influence of an impairing substance” at the time.
Hall was arrested and taken to the South Central Regional Jail on a $10,000 bond. She is charged with three counts of 1st-degree arson and four counts of 3rd-degree arson. Her preliminary hearing date is scheduled for May 10 at 2 p.m.
Anyone with any information on the fire can contact the KCSO at 304-357-0169.
Friends of the family have also started “The Kidd Family Fire Fund” to help cover the costs to replace destroyed belongings. Those who want to help can donate at any City National Bank.
“I know anybody in this neighborhood I could call and they would help in seconds; so, that’s what we’re trying to do for them,” said Kirstin Dunn, a family friend. “We grew up in this circle playing all the time, we never dreamed of anything like this ever happening. They are a marvelous family, and they have done so much for me. If there’s anything I could do to help them, I would do it.”
UPDATE (12:38 a.m. on Wednesday, May 3): The family of a home destroyed in an arson fire this morning tells WOWK 13 News they were able to all make it outside safely.
According to the family, their daughters lost some items for big milestones set to happen later in May. One daughter will be graduating from St. Albans High School this month, and some of her things for the event, as well as her prom dress for this weekend, were destroyed. Another daughter who is set to be married this month lost some belongings for her wedding in the fire.
The family tells WOWK 13 News Reporter Rachel Pellegrino they do have somewhere to stay tonight, and are setting up a GoFundMe to replace their daughters’ destroyed belongings.
UPDATE (11:11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 3): A woman was arrested Wednesday after a vehicle caught on fire and it spread to multiple other vehicles, houses and an outbuilding in Kanawha County, according to a criminal complaint.
The complaint says 54-year-old Donna Hall, of St. Albans, was in a vehicle that was set on fire. Three more vehicles, two houses and an outbuilding were burned as a result of the single-vehicle fire.
Hall is being charged with three counts of first-degree arson and four counts of third-degree arson.
Hall is being held in the South Central Regional Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond.
KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK) — A single-vehicle fire caused another vehicle and one residence to catch on fire Wednesday morning.
Metro 911 officials said the call came in around 1:25 a.m. They said it happened on River Park Circle in Kanawha County.
Dispatchers said the residence had people inside.
No one was taken to the hospital, dispatchers said.
