Lawrence woman charged with felony in connection with house fire

A 27-year-old woman is facing a felony charge after Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical responded to a reported house fire in central Lawrence on Wednesday.

Lisa E. Rivadeneira, of Lawrence, was formally charged in Douglas County District Court on Thursday, according to court records. She was arrested around 1 p.m. Wednesday on suspicion of aggravated arson.

The fire department said in a news release that it responded to a report of a structure fire at 926 W. 20th Terrace around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. The address is listed as Rivadeneira’s home in the Douglas County booking log.

When fire crews arrived, smoke was coming from the home, the release said. Once inside, firefighters noticed burn damage but no active fire. No injuries were reported during the incident.

The department said it investigated the cause of fire but did not say what led it to believe a crime was committed. Tom Fagan, a spokesman for the fire department, declined to provide any additional information about the incident.

As of 5 p.m., Rivadeneira was still in jail. The court set a $20,000 cash or surety bond, according to court records.


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