In Birmingham, Alabama, a massive fire consumed three buildings and left 20 people without homes on Halloween morning. The Birmingham Police Department has announced that a suspect is now in custody in connection with the blaze.
The fire, which erupted just before 6 a.m. on 13th Avenue at 20th Street South, near Cobb Lane, drew a swift response from Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service crews. Believed to have started in a vacant house, the flames quickly spread to two nearby apartment buildings, keeping firefighters engaged for much of the day.
Recently unsealed court documents have revealed that 42-year-old Joshua Mitchell faces second-degree arson charges. Mitchell is accused of attempting to set fire to the Big Escape Room, located just a block away from where the Cobb Lane fire occurred. Authorities have also linked him to the fire that devastated the three buildings.
Despite the scale of the incident, which saw between 75 to 100 firefighters on the scene, no injuries have been reported. The community now faces the challenge of recovering from this unexpected disaster.
