Arson Attack in Paris

Suspected Arson Attack Kills 10 in Paris

Woman was arrested near apartment building

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

In this image taken from video released by the Paris Fire Dept., firemen scale the top floors of an apartment building on fire, Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019, in Paris, France.   (Paris Fire Dept. via AP)

Paris' deadliest fire in over a decade claimed 10 lives Tuesday, sending fleeing residents to the roof as flames engulfed their apartment building before dawn.
A 40-year-old female resident of the building, said to have a history of psychiatric problems, was arrested as police opened an investigation into voluntary arson resulting in death, per the AP. French officials said she was drunk when she was apprehended on the street near the eight-story building in the quiet neighborhood. It is the deadliest fire in Paris since the April 2005 hotel fire near the capital's famed Opera that killed 24 people. Though the fire was extinguished before dawn, firefighters were going door to door to ensure there are no more victims.

Firefighters rescued about 50 people, some from the roof or those who had clambered out of windows to escape the flames. About 30 people were treated for minor injuries, along with six firefighters. Emergency workers were attempting to shore up the building, which was badly damaged after flames shot out of windows stretching across the upper floors. Prosecutor Remy Heitz told reporters at the scene that authorities suspect it was a criminal act, though "the investigation has just begun" and it's too early to definitively determine the cause of the fire.