Woman accused of setting fire to sober living house with people inside

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - A woman has been arrested and accused of setting a sober living house in Springfield on fire with people inside.

Two people ended up suffering injuries after they had to jump from windows to escape.

It happened in the 500 block of S. State Street on Saturday.

The Springfield Fire Department was called out for a fire at a 3-story house. The house is a sober living house with six people living there. Several people had to jump from the 2nd floor to escape. 2 people were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and injuries from jumping.

The Sangamon County Sheriff's Office said fire investigators determined the fire was started outside the house at the southeast corner on the back porch.

Before the fire call, SCSO said a domestic call came in from Caseys from Jefferson. The caller said his ex-girlfriend, Danielle Barkley, was tearing things up outside the sober living house.

Deputies said video from the area around the sober living house shows Barkley walking around the sober living house, looking at smoke coming from it, and then running away.

Barkley told deputies she had Ubered from her house over to the sober living house where her ex-boyfriend lives. She said he did not want her there and admitted to tearing up plants around the house and smoking a cigarette on the porch.

She said she knows she is not allowed on the property but was angry with her ex-boyfriend, who she knew was inside. She said she admitted to seeing the fire and running away without calling 911, knowing there were multiple people inside.

She was arrested on charges of aggravated arson causing great bodily harm, residential arson, and property damage by means of fire or explosive.

There was over $100,000 in damage to the house.

Barkley was denied pretrial release, and a preliminary hearing is set for July 2.