Lake Charles, LA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire set by former grocery store employee

A Moss Bluff man was arrested on Friday for setting a fire inside of a grocery store where he used to work.

Spencer Wallace, 19, was booked into the Calcasieu Parish Jail and is facing one count of aggravated arson, public affairs director for the State Fire Marshal’s Office Ashley Rodrigue said.

Calcasieu Fire District responded to a fire at the Market Basket grocery store on the 300 block of Sam Houston Jones Parkway in Moss Bluff.

After assessing the scene and analyzing store surveillance video, which shows Wallace standing near the manager’s booth and setting a fire in a trash can, SFM investigators determined the fire was intentionally set.

In the video, Wallace was seen walking away after setting the fire that spread to the booth before the store’s sprinkler system extinguished it.

Wallace admitted to setting the fire in an interview with investigators and was placed under arrest.