Two men have now been charged with setting a boarding house in Niagara Falls on fire, leaving two people injured and displacing 20 people.
The fire happened around 7:15 p.m. on New Year's Day at the boarding house on the 1900 block of Niagara Street. When firefighters arrived, people were hanging out of the windows and jumping to safety.
One person was taken to the hospital after suffering from smoke inhalation and another was injured while trying to jump to safety. Everyone else was able to safely escape, but in all, 20 people are without a home.
Police say Jerome Wingfield, 32, and Wilber Haynes, 70, set the boarding house on fire. Wingfield lives on Main Street in Niagara Falls and was arrested the day after the blaze. Haynes was arrested January 4th. He lived at the boarding house.
Both are charged with second degree arson, second degree burglary and first degree reckless endangerment.
The fire caused extensive damage to the building. Police did not say how the fire was started or why Wingfield and Haynes allegedly targeted the boarding house.
Wingfield is being held without bail in the Niagara County Jail. Haynes is being held on $100,000 bail.
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