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12-year-old girl arrested for setting fire at abandoned Lacey mushroom farm

The thermal column from the fire could be seen for miles around. The smoke postponed a parent night at Nisqually Middle School.

LACEY, Wash. — Lacey police arrested a 12-year-old girl for setting a fire at the abandoned Ostrom mushroom farm on Wednesday. 

The girl was arrested for arson. She was also arrested for second-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment in an unrelated incident. 

A judge found probable cause for the charges during a hearing Friday. Bail was set at $25,000.

Crews responded to the building at 8322 Steilacoom Road at around 4 p.m. Wednesday for a smoke investigation. The fire district called a second alarm soon after and six different agencies responded.  

SkyKING video showed the roof had partially collapsed on the facility and smoke could be seen rising from inside the building. Lacey Fire District 3 said the thermal column on the fire could be seen for miles around. 

A deputy with the Thurston County Sheriff's Office later received screenshots of Snapchat photos showing the girl standing in the building's office with a lighter in her hand and fire at her feet, according to probable cause documents. The Lacey Fire Department confirmed to police that the fire started in the office where the picture was taken.

Police said two witnesses also placed the girl at or near the location of the fire.

The building has been abandoned for a number of years. Lacey firefighters said they've responded to the building before because of squatters.

A parent night for the sixth grade at nearby Nisqually Middle School was canceled due to the smoke coming from the fire. 

The fire district said there is a "significant fire load."

An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

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