photo by: Contributed

Surveillance video from a North Lawrence business captured images of a person setting a fire in a trash receptacle Wednesday night, Nov. 16, 2022, at 1010 N. Third St.

A Lawrence woman accused of starting a series of fires earlier this week in North Lawrence has been charged with four counts of arson.

The woman, Abie Schnacke, 19, made her first appearance Friday in Douglas County District Court, where Judge Sally Pokorny read the charges against her, appointed attorney Dakota Loomis to represent her and set her bond at $20,000 cash or surety.

Two of the four counts of arson, a level seven nonperson felony, relate to fires that were set Wednesday night in two trash receptacles near Ten10 Liquor Store at 1010 N. Third St. — one in a dumpster next to the building and one in a trash bin near the front door.

The other two counts relate to fires set Wednesday evening in two recycling bins at 725 N. Second St., which is the address of Lunar Graphix, a specialty printing business.

Each of the four arson counts is punishable by 11 to 34 months in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

No one was injured in the fires, police said, but significant damage resulted at Lunar Graphix, when the fire in the recycling bin spread to the interior of the building.

photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

The back of Lunar Graphix at 725 N. Second St. after Wednesday night’s fire. The fire spread into the building and caused substantial damage.

As the Journal-World reported, Schnacke was arrested late Wednesday after allegedly setting a number of fires in the 700-1000 blocks of North Second and Third Street. She was arrested in the 100 block of Maple Street, which is the address of a city-run encampment for people experiencing homelessness, although she was not a resident of the camp and had not been admitted to stay there, according to city officials.

Schnacke is facing another arson charge in a separate case from Sunday at 3111 W. Sixth St., which is the address of Lawrence Family Vision Clinic. That charge is aggravated arson, a level 6 person felony that is punishable by 17 to 46 months in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000. She was released Monday afternoon on a $15,000 own-recognizance bond in that case, two days before the North Lawrence fires occurred.

Her next court appearance in both the Sunday case and the most recent case is 2 p.m. Nov. 23.