Wellsville woman pleads guilty to starting North Broad Street apartment house fire

Neal Simon, Hornell Evening Tribune
·1 min read

A Wellsville resident could face up to 25 years in state prison for setting a fire that totaled a North Broad Street apartment house in the village last year.

Jessica L. Morrison, 32, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Allegany County Court to felony second-degree arson in connection with the May 2, 2023 fire that ripped through a four-unit, two-story, wood-framed building at 46 N. Broad St. in Wellsville.

Fire investigators determined the blaze, which took about three hours to bring under control, was started on a second floor exterior stairwell 10 to 15 minutes before it was reported at 3:20 a.m.

Officials at the time said as many as six people lived in the apartment house. All escaped injury, although a couple of pets were treated.

The Wellsville Fire Department responded on the scene of a structure fire May 2, 2023 after a blaze broke out at 46 N. Broad. St. in the early morning hours
The Wellsville Fire Department responded on the scene of a structure fire May 2, 2023 after a blaze broke out at 46 N. Broad. St. in the early morning hours

Police said Morrison became a “person of interest” based on information obtained from “community involvement.” While Morrison did not live in the building, she had a previous relationship with a building tenant, police said.

She was arrested a day after the fire and in addition to arson, Morrison was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree criminal mischief.

An apartment house on North Broad Street in the Village of Wellsville was demolished after an arson in 2023.
An apartment house on North Broad Street in the Village of Wellsville was demolished after an arson in 2023.

Morrison pleaded guilty to the top charge, which is a class B felony with a minimum five-year sentence. Sentencing is June 18 before Allegany County Court Judge Thomas Brown.

More Wellsville demolition: Two homes torn down on Elm Street. Here's what's next for the properties.

The building has since been demolished and the lot sits vacant.

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This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Wellsville apartments demolished after arson, suspect pleads guilty