A 23-year-old La Crosse woman has been charged in a May 3 fire that damaged a house in La Crosse.
Brianna Mae Lawrence was charged Tuesday in La Crosse County Circuit Court with felony counts of arson of a building without the owner’s consent, arson to property other than a building, criminal damage to property and three counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety.
La Crosse firefighters responded shortly after noon to a report of a basement fire at 1917 Prospect St. and found heavy smoke coming from the basement. Nobody was injured in the fire, but the structure sustained an estimated $70,000-$80,000 worth of smoke and water damage.
According to the criminal complaint, investigators used surveillance footage to determine that Lawrence exited the basement of the structure through an egress window around 11:45 a.m. She walked around the block and returned within five minutes. The video reportedly shows Lawrence standing next to a man attempting to extinguish the fire. Neither person was present when firefighters arrived a short time later.
People are also reading…
Police interviewed Lawrence later that day. The complaint says she told police she had left for an appointment before realizing she had forgotten something. She told investigators she noticed the fire as she returned home.
Lawrence reportedly told investigators the residence had problems with the furnace and electrical system, but investigators found no evidence that either had malfunctioned. They determined that the blaze originated in a basement bedroom, where Lawrence allegedly set a mattress on fire.
The complaint says police interviewed a witness who saw Lawrence set fire to a living room curtain a week earlier. Investigators reportedly found the curtain with burned ends.
Judge Elliott Levine released Lawrence on a $5,000 signature bond with a condition of bond monitoring. A preliminary hearing was set for July 8.
PHOTOS & VIDEO: Scenes from blaze in downtown La Crosse
Watch Now: Building razed after devastating fire downtown
4th Street excavation

Excavators work to clean up what is left of a building on the 300 block of S. Fourth Street after a Thursday morning fire ravaged the structure occupied by Indian Curry House and Bar.
4th Street excavation

Excavators work to clean up what is left of a building on the 300 block of S. Fourth Street Thursday after a morning fire ravaged the structure occupied by Indian Curry House and Bar.
Fire in Downtown La Crosse (Filmed by Stephen Harm)
4th Street fire

The building occupied by the India Curry House and Bar on 300 block of Fourth Street South lay in ruin after a morning blaze Thursday.
4th Street fire

Firefighters battle a blaze from boom trucks Thursday morning along Fourth Street near its corner with King Street downtown.
4th Street fire

Ruble covers the 300 block of Fourth Street South in front of the India Curry House and Bar on Thursday as a morning fire is extinguished.
4th Street fire

Firefighters battle a blaze from the ground Thursday morning along Fourth Street near its corner with King Street downtown.
4th Street fire

Firefighters battle a blaze from boom trucks Thursday morning along Fourth Street near its corner with King Street downtown.
Watch Now: Fire ravages buildings downtown
4th Street fire

Firefighters battle a blaze engulfing multiple buildings Thursday morning along Fourth Street near its corner with King Street downtown.
4th Street fire

Firefighters battle a blaze engulfing multiple buildings Thursday morning along Fourth Street near its corner with King Street downtown.
4th Street fire

A firefighter climbs a boom ladder while working the scene of a blaze Thursday morning along Fourth Street near its corner with King Street downtown. The fire devastated the building occupied by India Curry House and Bar.
4th Street fire

Firefighters battle a blaze engulfing multiple buildings from boom trucks and the ground Thursday morning along Fourth Street near its corner with King Street downtown.
4th Street fire

Firefighters battle a blaze engulfing multiple buildings Thursday morning along Fourth Street near its corner with King Street downtown.
Fire scene

At the scene of the fire in downtown La Crosse.
Fire scene

Fire scene on South Fourth Street on Thursday morning in downtown La Crosse.
Fire on 4th Street
La Crosse Tribune reporter Steve Rundio can be reached at steve.rundio@lee.net.