Authorities in Durham, North Carolina, have charged a woman with starting a fire that left multiple people injured and forced the complete evacuation of a residential building.

Mahogany Ashley Massey, 31, faces charges of first-degree arson and multiple counts of assault related to the June 14 fire at the University Ridge complex, according to WRAL.

According to court documents cited during a hearing, seven people suffered injuries of varying severity. Among them are residents of the building and at least one firefighter who participated in the rescue efforts.

Prosecutor's Office maintains that there was previous antecedents and investigates new evidence

During the court hearing, investigators indicated that a handwritten list described by prosecutors as a supposed “list of people to kill” was found among the defendant's belongings.

The authorities also alleged that there was a previous attempt to start another fire in the complex a week before the incident.

Until now, these elements are part of the ongoing investigation and must be evaluated within the judicial process.

The fire started shortly before 11:00 a.m. and quickly spread through the residential building.

Emergency teams indicated that they encountered intense fire conditions and strong gusts of wind that complicated the operation.

One resident escaped by jumping from a third-floor window and other people were rescued by firefighters.

Relatives of the accused were also injured.

According to prosecutors, among the injured are the mother and brother of the accused.

The mother remains hospitalized for injuries related to smoke inhalation.

Authorities also indicated that the brother suffered serious injuries while trying to rescue her from the building and that a gas explosion would have aggravated his injuries.

During the hearing, the defendant's father testified before local media about his daughter's reaction while medical personnel treated affected relatives. The defendant allegedly enjoyed a cigarette and a beer while watching the building burn, while paramedics loaded her injured mother into an ambulance and her brother suffered severe burns.

Their statements are part of public testimony, but do not constitute judicial findings.

Building was left uninhabitable and dozens of people were evacuated

The Fire Department reported that approximately 75 personnel and 33 units participated in the operation to control the fire, which took about an hour.

They also confirmed the rescue of a dog that remained inside the property.

As a result of the incident, the 18 units of the building were declared uninhabitable and their occupants had to leave the place.

Authorities indicated that part of the complex did not have an automatic sprinkler system due to the regulations in force at the time of its construction.

One of the injured residents suffered fractures after jumping from a window to escape the fire.

Meanwhile, Massey remains detained without bail and is scheduled for a new court appearance on July 2.

The investigation remains open.