Woman accused of setting her apartment on fire, removing extinguishers as part of alleged seance
By Tommie Clark
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HAGERSTOWN, Maryland (WBAL) — A woman set her own apartment on fire as part of an alleged seance, according to a Maryland State Fire Marshal’s report.
April Hough, 45, claimed she was performing a seance before the fire. Officials said Hough removed fire extinguishers from the building before the fire.
Hough was charged with arson, malicious burning, destruction of property and reckless endangerment.
Officials said firefighters arrived around 4 p.m. Friday and found smoke coming from a three-story apartment building. Firefighters then discovered Hough had barricaded herself inside the rental office after telling the staff she had set the fire, officials said.
Crews contained the fire to Hough’s unit, while other apartments were damaged by smoke.
Everyone was able to escape uninjured.
“We don’t hear stuff like this, we really don’t,” an anonymous resident told 11 News. “We love for our kids to be here, and to hear something like this, it’s crazy.”
Two days before the fire, Hough was charged with indecent exposure and disorderly conduct. The week before that, she was charged in connection with causing a false fire alarm.
A judge decided Monday to keep Hough in custody for a competency evaluation.
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