BRITT- A 51-year-old Britt homeowner is being held without bail in St. Louis County Jail on suspicion of first-degree arson after a fire on Friday at a residence in Britt.
At approximately 12:14 p.m. on Friday, April 15, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to a house fire in the 8600 block of Donnywood Circle W. in Britt when a neighbor reported flames coming out of a window of the residence.
While responding to the address, deputies encountered a male walking on a nearby roadway and discovered he was the homeowner of the residence that was on fire. The homeowner, Devin Hadersbeck, made statements to the deputies related to the house fire which lead to his arrest on the arson charge.
Sandy-Pike-Britt, Cook, Embarrass, Mt. Iron and Evergreen fire departments responded and extinguished the fire, preventing it from spreading to a detached garage.
The home, described in county property records as a four-bedroom home co-owned with Kristin L. Weigel with an estimated market value of $140,600, appeared to sustain severe fire, smoke and water damage.
No people were injured during the fire, however three cats inside the residence perished as a result of the fire.
The incident remains under investigation by the St. Louis Co. Sheriff’s Office and MN State Fire Marshalls Office.
If convicted of felony first degree arson, Hadersbeck faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine.