Woman arrested for interfering with firefighters after trying to save personal items from burning home

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    Newport (KPTV) — A woman was arrested after Newport police say she interfered with firefighters who were battling a house fire Thursday afternoon.

At around 2:49 p.m., officers and firefighters were called out to a fire in the 800 block of Southwest 7th Street.

Crews arrived to the scene and found a home fully engulfed in flames.

Police said that while firefighters were battling the blaze, a resident, identified as Josie Louise Waterman, began causing a disturbance by attempting to grab personal items from the burning home.

According to police, Waterman was warned numerous times to stay out of the area because it was dangerous and her actions were interfering with firefighters ability to conduct their operation.

Waterman reportedly refused to cooperate and continued to try and get into the home.

Police said Waterman was taken into custody and booked into the Lincoln County Jail on a charge of interfering with a firefighters.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Officer Vincent Boutwell at 541-574-3348.

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