70-year-old Connecticut woman arrested for arson after apartment fire

A 70-year-old Connecticut woman was arrested for arson Friday after an early-morning fire landed an 89-year-old in the hospital and displaced more than a dozen people, police and fire officials said.

First responders were called around 3:30 a.m. to Woodside Village, a two-story apartment building in Bloomfield, the Trumbull Times reported. When they arrived on the scene, they were met with a heavy fire that was quickly spreading from the back of the residence to the second floor.

Fire Marshal Roger Nelson said people were already hurrying out of the burning building by the time first responders made it to the scene. He added that police quickly worked to evacuate those still inside while firefighters battled back the blaze.

As officers helped a 70-year-old woman escape the building, she allegedly admitted to setting the fire . She was taken into custody on the scene and charged with first-degree arson. Her bond was set at $500,000, NBC Connecticut reported.

The suspect was later identified as Maria Salas , though her motive remains unclear. Police did not provide further details about the criminal aspect of the fire.

It took about a half hour to contain the flames, Nelson said. Once they were fully out, the building — made up of 16 units — was deemed uninhabitable . Nelson said two apartments were left charred, while the rest sustained smoke damage.

"The whole building is displaced for now," Nelson told the Trumbull Times, adding that most of the residents were older than 60 years old. "We'll get them back in as quick as possible."

One resident, an 89-year-old woman, was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, Nelson said.

Bloomfield Social Services and the Red Cross are working together to assist the displaced residents.