Plainfield woman charged with arson after apartment fire in July

PLAINFIELD, Conn. (WFSB) - Police arrested and charged a 56-year-old woman following an apartment fire in July.

Plainfield police said Tina Carlo was taken into custody based on an arrest warrant, and a new document revealed additional details of the fire in Moosup Village in Plainville. She is charged with one count of arson and five counts of reckless endangerment.

Officials said they responded to a structure fire on July 23 inside Apartment 6 of a three-story, multi-family apartment building located at 39 Prospect St, Moosup Village in Plainfield. Five other people were in the building. No injuries were reported.

Neighboring tenant Kevin Houghton reporting smelling smoke, hearing the fire alarm, and forced open Carlo’s apartment door to find a fire near a dresser. Carlo was still in the apartment. When Houghton said he told Carlo to leave, she cursed at him and said “let it burn.”

Houghton said he used two fire extinguishers to knock down the flames while another tenant, Donald McClure, helped Carlo out of bed. Carlo left the building on foot carrying a blanket, and she was found at the Moosup Fire Department in a bay, stating she wanted to end her life.

Investigators said they identified two separate fires within Carlo’s apartment, including the dresser. The Plainfield Fire Marshal’s Office classified the fire as intentionally set.

In a phone call with Plainfield Sgt. Ryan Barile, Carlo admitted she had stopped taking her bipolar medications, heard voices in her head instructing her to “go light this, go light that,” and believed she used her lighter to start the fire.

Carlo is being held on a $75,000 set bond and is awaiting a plea. Her next court date is scheduled for Dec. 11, 2026.

Eyewitness News will update this story as details become available.