Police say the fire began in a bedroom while several people were inside the Eakin Road building.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Columbus woman was arrested after police said she set a bedroom fire inside an occupied apartment building while her four children were inside and threatened to kill them, according to court records.

Hawa Hassan, 30, faces aggravated arson, assault and domestic violence by assault counts after the May 2 fire at a multiunit apartment building on Eakin Road. The children were not injured and were later placed with Franklin County Children’s Services. The case moved quickly from a fire response to a criminal investigation after witnesses and investigators said the blaze was intentionally set.

The emergency call sent Columbus firefighters to the Wedgewood Apartment complex at about 8:15 a.m., when alarms were sounding and people were still inside the building. Court records say the fire was reported in the 3700 block of Eakin Road, where crews found a fire that began in a bedroom of one apartment. Police said several occupants, including children, were in the building at the time. A witness reported hearing alarms and seeing Hassan say she had set the apartment on fire. “She admitted to police she set the fire,” court records say in describing what officers reported after Hassan was detained at the scene.

Investigators said the fire was not accidental. According to the criminal complaint, the bedroom had been intentionally set, creating a risk of serious physical harm from smoke, heat and flames. Police said one witness encountered four children who reported that their mother had started the fire with a lighter. The children also told the witness Hassan said she was “going to kill them all,” according to the complaint. Officials have not released the children’s names or ages. Police have not said whether any other adults were inside Hassan’s apartment when the fire started, and they have not described the full extent of smoke or water damage inside the unit.

The fire drew attention because it involved a home, a parent and children who escaped without physical injuries despite the danger inside the building. WSYX reported that one apartment appeared charred on the outside after the fire. Court records reviewed by local news outlets said multiple people were inside the multiunit building, not only the four children in the apartment. That detail is central to the aggravated arson charge because prosecutors must show the conduct created a serious risk to people or damaged an occupied structure. The building’s location on Eakin Road places it in a residential part of Columbus where apartment units sit close together and a bedroom fire can affect more than one household.

The first public court records listed Hassan as facing a first-degree felony count of aggravated arson, along with misdemeanor assault and domestic violence by assault charges. A later report said a Franklin County grand jury indicted her on two felony counts of aggravated arson and four misdemeanor counts. Early reports said she was held at the Franklin County jail, with one account listing a $2 million bond and a May 12 court date. Another local report said an earlier appearance was scheduled for May 4. The public record available in news reports does not say whether Hassan has entered a plea, and it is unclear whether she has an attorney who can speak on her behalf.

Neighbors and witnesses became part of the case before the formal charges were filed. Police said witnesses found the children and relayed what the children said about the lighter, the bedroom and the threat. Officers then detained Hassan at the scene. Fire investigators examined the apartment and determined the blaze started in the bedroom. No injuries were reported, but the children were removed from the home and placed with Franklin County Children’s Services. The agency’s role was not described in detail in the court filings reported by local outlets, and officials did not release where the children were staying or whether relatives were involved.

The case now rests on the fire investigation, witness statements, the children’s reported statements and Hassan’s alleged admission to officers. Prosecutors are expected to use the indictment to move the case beyond the initial arrest stage. The next steps include court hearings, possible plea discussions and a review of discovery, including fire reports, police body camera footage, 911 records, witness interviews and any photographs or inspection notes from the apartment. The most important unanswered questions include what investigators say happened before the fire, how long the children were inside, and whether prosecutors will present additional evidence about the alleged threat.

Hassan remained publicly identified in reports as the defendant in the Columbus arson case tied to the Eakin Road apartment fire. The children survived without reported injuries, and the criminal case is moving through Franklin County court.

Author note: Last updated May 23, 2026.