Woman arrested over suspected arson in Rennweg

A 48-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of deliberately starting a fire in a residential building in Rennweg am Katschberg, ORF reported. The fire broke out in a pellet store in the heating room shortly after midnight on August 6.

Smoke spread from the basement into the living areas, according to police. The building’s smoke alarms raised the alarm early, allowing the four residents, two women and two men, to leave safely. No one was injured.

The two men then extinguished the fire using fire extinguishers and water. The extent of the damage was initially unclear.

The Carinthian State Criminal Police Office and several other police departments investigated the incident. Investigators identified the 48-year-old woman as a suspect.

She denied the allegations during questioning. On the orders of the Klagenfurt public prosecutor’s office, she was arrested and taken to Klagenfurt prison, where she is being held in pre-trial detention.

It remains unclear whether the fire is connected to other unresolved fires in the surrounding area.