DAYTON — UPDATE @ 11:15 a.m. (Jan 26):
A Dayton man remains jailed on three preliminary charges of arson after a fire destroyed a home on East Second Street Monday morning.
Dennis L. Treece, 42, was arrested after the fire was reported at the home in the 2600 block of East Second Street around 7:40 a.m. Monday. He is facing three preliminary charges of aggravated arson, two with specifications of risk of serious physical harm to two people and one specification of serious harm to an occupied structure, according to online jail records.
When questioned by police, Treece admitted he intentionally set the fire by igniting a cardboard box in the basement of the home, investigators said in the Dayton police report. He also told investigators about other fuel sources that were in the basement at the time the fire started, according to police.
Based on additional details in the report, Treece said he was suffering from mental health issues when the fire was set.
Two people who were in the second floor of the home when the fire broke out were forced to jump to safety when firefighters arrived, investigators previously told News Center 7.
The conditions of the victims were not immediately known.
We’ll update this story as we learn more.
FIRST REPORT (Jan. 25):
Two people were forced to jump from the second floor of a Dayton home to escape a fire that broke out Monday morning on East Second Street, according to firefighters.
Investigators have taken one person into custody and believe the source of the blaze was arson.
Firefighters were called to the area of East Second Street and North Findlay Street around 7:40 a.m. and reported heavy smoke and fire coming from the structure.
The conditions of those inside the house who jumped was not immediately known. Our crew on the scene observed one person loaded onto a stretcher and placed into an ambulance.
Multiple firefighters fell through holes in the floor of the house while battling the fire, however none of the firefighters were injured. Crews evacuated the house and battled the fire defensively, from outside the structure.
Police initially blocked portions of East Second Street, and North Findlay Street, between Springfield and East Third streets, while firefighters battled the fire.
Additional details were not available. We’ll update this story as we learn more.