Juvenile Charged In Walmart Fire
A photo of a fire scene at the Oskaloosa Walmart. (Oskaloosa Police Department photo)
An Oskaloosa Police Department Press Release
Last night at about 6:38 p.m., a fire was set in the women’s intimate apparel section of Walmart Oskaloosa. The fire grew quickly before being ultimately put out by staff.
Police and Fire Department personnel arrived and began investigating the cause of the fire after everyone had been safely evacuated from the building.
Thankfully, we are unaware of any injuries caused by this criminal act.
Oskaloosa Walmart FireDuring the course of the investigation, a photo was posted on social media requesting community assistance in identifying and locating two people who needed to be interviewed as witnesses. Our community had identified these people within two minutes, and we were quickly contacted by one of them.
The investigation later revealed that a juvenile had been in the area when the fire started. This juvenile was identified and charged with:
arson in the 1st degree due to people being in the direct vicinity of the fire (Class B felony), and
criminal mischief in the 1st degree due to damage greater than $10,000 (Class C felony).
The juvenile was fingerprinted and referred to the juvenile court officer before being sent home.
During this investigation, we heard a rumor that a customer assisted in putting the fire out with a nearby extinguisher. This is precisely what we have come to expect from our fantastic community residents. We are incredibly grateful to our community for all of the rapid assistance they provided during this dangerous fire incident.
At approximately 18:38 hours on Sunday evening, March 3rd, 2024, the Oskaloosa Fire Dept was paged to a fire at Walmart located at 2203 “A” Avenue West in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The initial report stated there was a fire in the women’s clothing section, and the store was filling with smoke. An all-in was called by the officer in charge requesting additional fire units due to the nature of the call. Engine 77- was on the scene within 4 minutes of the initial page and, after a short investigation determined that the fire was out upon arrival. Fire crews then proceeded to eject the smoke from the building.
Engine 75 arrived on the scene at 18:53 followed by truck 73, bringing the total number of firefighters on scene to 9. The area of origin was secured while evidence was collected, and an investigation into the cause of the fire was started. All fire crews cleared the scene at 20:35.
The Fire Department was assisted on the scene by members of the Oskaloosa Police Department, The Mahaska County Sheriff’s Department, The Iowa State Patrol, and The Mahaska Ambulance. The investigation into the cause of the fire is being handled by the Oskaloosa Police Department.
