Update: Irvington Woman Arrested in Arson Fire

A 52-year-old Irvington woman was arrested on Thursday night in connection with an arson fire at 69 Ward Place.

According to Police Chief James Chelel, police received a call from a resident at 8:40 p.m. reporting that a fire had started on her porch and she'd seen a woman dressed in white walking away from the scene toward South Orange Avenue. Officer Al DiEsso attempted to contain the fire with a garden hose before South Orange firefighters arrived, backed up by Maplewood and Orange. They found that the fire had spread to the interior of the first-floor walls, but it was quickly knocked down.

Meanwhile, Sgt. Ed Schmidt detained a woman matching the description of the suspect—later identified as Mexiane Joseph, 52, of Irvington—walking east on South Orange Avenue by Seton Hall. She was carrying a Clorox bottle and a box of matches and was positively identified by the Ward Place resident, who said Joseph had called earlier and made threats.

Joseph was taken to headquarters for processing and charged with aggravated arson, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. She was held overnight and was scheduled to be transferred to county jail on Friday.

Chelel also noted that Joseph is under investigation by the Irvington Fire Department for an incident there.

According to Fire Chief Jeffrey Markey, there were eight residents at home during the fire, but they were alerted by a fire alarm and had exited the building though the rear door prior to the arrival of the Fire Department. The fire was declared under control at 9:01 p.m., and all apparatus had cleared the scene at 11:31 p.m.

Fire damage was confined to the porch floor and ceiling and the first floor interior and exterior wall. The first-floor interior sustained moderate smoke and water damage, and the house was deemed uninhabitable. The residents were allowed to enter the building under firefighters' supervision to obtain essentials and then sought shelter at a relative's home in Maplewood.

An investigation was conducted by the South Orange Fire Department in conjunction with the Irvington Fire Department and the Essex County Arson Task Force. The cause of the fire was determined to be arson, resulting from the purposeful application of an ignitable liquid, according to Markey's report.