2 Male Teenagers Arrested & Charged with Arson for Memphis Porch Fire

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The Memphis Fire Department responded to a report of a house fire at 1401 Wellington Street, Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 4:23 a.m. Upon arrival on the scene at 4:28 a.m., firefighters reported fire visible from the one story wood- frame residential structure. Rescue and Firefighting operations began immediately.

Seven (7) pieces of Fire/Rescue/EMS equipment and approximately nineteen (19) emergency response personnel ultimately responded to the call. Battalion Chief S. Seward was the commanding officer of this incident. There were no firefighter or civilian injuries.

There was no damage to the structure. The origin and cause of the fire was determined to be intentionally set to furniture on the front porch. Memphis Fire Investigator's responded to the scene and their investigation lead to the arrest of two (2) male teenagers. Richard Fleming, 19, and Deanerde Smith, 18, were charged with arson.

Anyone with information regarding arson related crimes are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 528-CASH (2274) or the State Arson Hotline at 1-800-762- 3017. You could be eligible to receive a cash reward from Crime Stoppers of Memphis and Shelby County, Inc. The Memphis Fire Department urges all citizens to maintain a working smoke detector in their place of residence. Any City of Memphis resident can apply for a free smoke detector by contacting the Fire Museum of Memphis at (901) 320-5650. Always have a plan of escape in case there is a fire. Also remember that 9-1-1 is for emergencies only. For all other FIRE/EMS NON-EMERGENCY issues please dial (901) 458-8281.



Author:Memphis Fire Department Press Release