Yep, that’s a real headline in the Washington Post. In an on-the-scene local news interview, Monique Quarles explained that she saw a bug in her apartment, caught it, lit it on fire, decided to check for more bugs under her mattress, found more, tried to light them on fire, and instead lit her box spring on fire and caused $140,000 in damage to the apartment building.
Topeka Fire Marshal Mike Martin confirmed that the determination of the official Topeka fire department investigation, which probably didn’t take very long since the lady said on camera how she started the fire, was that the cause of the fire was an accident resulting from an “occupant trying to kill a bug with a lighter.”
Incisive journalism from Amber Ferguson of the Washington Post:
And then, after describing the number of firefighters on the scene, people sent to the hospital, and cats given oxygen:
Monique Quarles is a national treasure.