Oakland County Post Office set on fire, woman caught on video starting blaze

HIGHLAND Twp, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Oakland County Sheriff is searching for a woman who set fire to a Post Office on Sunday that was caught on surveillance video.

According to the sheriff, the Post Office on Beach Farm in Highland Township was set on fire around 11 p.m. on Sunday but it originally came into the sheriff as a burglary alarm.

The sheriff said deputies responded to the burglary alarm and smoke and flames were visible from the front lobby. The Highland Township Fire Department responded and put out the fire, which caused an estimated $100,000 in damages.

As authorities investigated, the United States Postal Inspector’s Office provided surveillance video of the fire, which showed a woman entering the lobby, lighting paper on fire, and then putting it in a trash can.

The woman then left as the flames started to climb up the trash can and spread to the rest of the lobby, which is open 24 hours a day. The woman is described as an unknown white woman, wearing a black hat, gray cot, carrying a red purse, and wearing white tennis shoes.

Authorities said higher quality video will be made available later this week.

A $5,000 reward is offered for information leading to an arrest plus another $1,000 from CrimeStoppers. Anyone with information is asked to report it to the Arson Prevention Reward Program here: https://detroitcrimecommission.org/initiatives/arson-reward-committee/