ROCKFORD, IL — Four women are accused of setting fire to a Rockford house and injuring a firefighter after a female resident who had been inside declined a challenge to come out for a fight.
Investigators say a minor altercation the day before preceded the 4:40 p.m. blaze on May 20. It not only left a Rockford Fire Department firefighter with second degree burns, but endangered the lives of two adults, three children and an infant. The blaze killed a family dog.
A woman who lived in the house at 1325 Andrews St. told police and fire investigators that she had gotten into a physical fight with another woman in the 600 block of Concord Avenue. The next day, that woman, three other women and possibly another individual came to her Andrews Street home to demand a rematch.
The resident opened the door, saw who was there and closed it, according to police.
The woman who the resident had a fight with the previous day told her that “if she didn’t come out, she would make her come out,” according to a factual summary filed in Winnebago County court detailing what the resident told police.
Moments later, the resident’s porch was on fire, preventing her from exiting through the front door. She and her family were forced to flee the fire through a back door.
“All of the people who normally reside in that home at that address were in fact inside prior to the fire starting,” Rockford Fire Division Chief Timothy Morris said during a phone interview. “When our staff first arrived, we do normally walk around the structure immediately to see if anybody is by a window, yelling for help, trapped and for hazards for our own firefighters … thankfully everyone had evacuated, but they were away from the home.”
Neighbors told firefighters that multiple people and children live in the home, but they did not see them outside. According to fire officials, firefighters on the scene did not know where the family was.
“Multiple crew members heard a scream or a yell,” Morris said. “It was definitely coming from the inside, but they couldn’t tell what it was.”
Hearing what sounded like a scream, firefighters entered the house in search of potential victims. During the search, a young firefighter fell through a burning stairwell and suffered second degree burns to his upper body. He is now home and expected to recover.
Firefighters later found the family dog dead and believe that the pet is what made the screaming sound.
Stephanie Hart, 36, of Rockford, was arrested May 22 in connection with the incident and lodged in the Winnebago County Jail.
Arrest warrants were issued for Cierra Smith, 37, Tearra Smith, 38, and Jewell Shanice McDonald, 34, all of Rockford.
All four women are accused in court documents of residential arson, aggravated arson, aggravated arson resulting in the injury of a firefighter and aggravated animal cruelty.
Both aggravated arson and aggravated arson injuring a firefighter are Class X felonies punishable by six to 30 years in prison. But because a firefighter suffered severe injuries they could be facing sentencing of 30 to 60 years in prison if found guilty.
The three remaining women were still at large.
“They will be caught eventually,” Morris said.
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Arson fire that injured Rockford firefighter stemmed from a fight
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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