Vigo County law enforcement has a message for those who commit these types of crimes:
Anyone with information is asked to call the Vigo County Sheriff’s Department.
About 60 people were inside the building, which houses the work release center for community corrections.
Those people were evacuated safely with no injuries, and held outside the building. The fact that people were inside the building asleep in dormitories at the time the fire was set makes the arson even more serious, Loudermilk said.
Tips about the suspect can be submitted to the Terre Haute Police Department at 812-238-1661 or through Crime Stoppers at 812-238-STOP.
Firefighters entered the building to find the fire supression system had worked.
Bill Watson, executive director of community corrections, said the door entered by the suspect was not alarmed because it is a public access door used daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., when it is locked by staff.
Video shows the staff locking and checking the door to make sure it was secure, Watson said.
Water and smoke damage occurred throughout the building, he said. Ceiling tiles were water-soaked and must be removed.
Teams from ServePro were cleaning up the dormitory area and control room of work release Wednesday morning. Watson said he expected to have residents moved back into two dormitories today.
About 54 to 56 residents and 4 staff were in the buildling when the fire alarm sounded, Watson said. All exited the building without injury.
“We had protocols in place and those were followed,” Watson said. “They shut down our systems so that damage was minimized, so we should be able to get the security system back online.”
The second floor of the building houses offices for the Title IV-D court, county probation, state parole and Choices Consulting Center, which offers drug and alcohol counseling services.
Community corrections, which includes work release and electronic monitoring, are housed on the first floor of the building.
Forensic teams from THPD were at the scene processing evidence, including collecting fingerprints and liquid believed to be accelerant.
Kantz said it took crews a couple of hours to put out because of poor visibility.
“When you’re in a factory like that and you don’t really know the layout and where they put motor coaches and trailers and things, it’s kind of hard if you can’t see your hand in front of your face,” he said. “And it’s smoky and hot, and you’re not sure what’s on the other side of the wall there; it just takes a little bit of time.”
Five departments, 15 trucks, and about 30 firefighters responded to the scene.
More than 9,000 gallons of water was needed to extinguish the fire.
Luckily, nobody was hurt.
“The last worker left early around lunchtime [Saturday], I believe,” Kantz said.
He said the cause of the fire is being investigated.
The sprinkler system managed to keep the flames contained to the one RV, so the building it was in is ok.
Workers can return on Sunday.
Investigators said Lamberson was carrying a white cloth when he walked into the bathroom, but was not carrying it when he walked out. The video also allegedly showed Lamberson carry a blanket into the bathroom, returns saying, “It’s still going, I don’t need to put that up there,” according to the probable cause affidavit.
A short time later, Lamberson returned to the bathroom with the blanket and left without the blanket, according to the probable cause affidavit. A short time later, an employee discovers the fire in the ceiling. Lamberson and Carney are each charged with one count of arson.