Woman faces arson charges in central Las Vegas Valley fires

A woman was arrested Sunday night after she set three fires in a little more than a half-mile stretch in the central valley, according to the Las Vegas Fire Department.

Firefighters responded about 6:45 p.m. to a grass fire near the intersection of Mesquite Avenue and North Rancho Drive. While heading to that fire, crews noticed a second fire in a palm tree at 2000 Collins Avenue, fire department spokesman Tim Szymanski wrote in a release Monday.

Embers from the palm tree fire were falling onto the roof of a wood-frame, one-story house at 6:52 p.m, Szymanski said. Firefighters were able to minimize damage to the house and all of the fires were under control and mostly out in 15 minutes.

As crews were dousing the flames, several people told police they saw a woman walking down Tonopah Drive toward Alta Drive trying to set fire to other trees and bushes, the release said. People were following her and asking her to stop when Las Vegas police were called.

Officers arrived at Tonopah and Alta drives and took her into custody to be interviewed by fire department arson investigators.

Jacqueline L. Meza, 37, was arrested and taken to Clark County Detention Center where she faces one charge of first degree arson and two charges of third degree arson. Her bail is set at $30,000, according to detention center logs.

The Collins Avenue house had fire damage to the roof, but the interior of the home was OK. A utility pole was destroyed by the flames and utilities on the pole were also damaged, the release said. An estimated cost of the damage was not immediately available, Szymanski wrote in the release.

Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber