Urbana woman faces arson charges in apartment fire

54-year-old accused of setting fire to Berwick Drive complex.

URBANA — An Urbana woman will face several counts of aggravated arson after she was accused of setting fire to an apartment complex on Berwick Drive early Monday morning.

Suzanne M. Yates, 54, of 223 Berwick Drive, was indicted this week by a Champaign County Grand Jury on eight counts of aggravated arson and one count of arson after the fire at the apartment complex between 1:30 and 2 a.m.

Authorities said after the fire, Yates was taken to Mercy Memorial Hospital, where she provided information to investigators that indicated she set the fire.

Matt Lingrell, interim chief of the Urbana Police Division, declined to discuss why she started the fire or how the fire began.

He said some evidence in the case still needs to be analyzed, but there are no other suspects involved in the case.

Phil Kellenberger, interim chief of the Urbana Fire Division, said no one was injured, but he estimated the fire caused about $25,000 in damage to the structure and another $5,000 in damage to the contents of the building.

According to information from the Urbana Fire Division, firefighters extinguished a fire on the first floor of the building and ventilated a second story.

In all, 14 firefighters responded to the scene, and the JSP Joint Fire District provided assistance.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.

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