A resident of Lethbridge has been charged with arson in connection to a grass fire.
The Lethbridge Police have charged a woman with arson in connection to a grass fire that razed a coulee on the south side of the city.
At roughly 12:45 p.m. on January 13, police and the Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services responded to a call about a fire in the coulees, between the 1200 and 1600 blocks of Scenic Drive South near the Mountain View Cemetery.
Five fire stations sent crews to extinguish the flames, which caused a number of homes and buildings in the Scenic Heights apartment complex to be evacuated as a precaution.
No one was injured by the fire.
The police on scene of the fire were alerted to a suspicious female running from the fire, who was located quickly near the cemetery fence line.
She was taken into custody without incident.
An investigation into the fire determined that witnesses observed a lone female near the fire, who then proceeded to flee as it spread quickly due to the wind.
Personal property belonging to the subject was seized nearby, which included a lighter.
Police have subsequently charged the woman with arson.
The gravestones in the cemetery received no damage, and firefighters remained on scene for several hours after the fire was extinguished to ensure there were no flare-ups.
44-year-old Lethbridge resident, Audrey Rae Small Legs, has been charged with three counts of arson, disregard for human life, and failing to comply with the conditions of a probation order.
Small Legs was remanded into custody after a Judicial Interim Release hearing, and is scheduled to appear in court on January 16.
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