The apartment fire began in one bedroom but triggered charges tied to a risk for the whole building.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A bedroom fire at an Eakin Road apartment building has led to felony charges against a Columbus mother accused of setting the blaze while her four children were inside.
The case centers on a May 2 fire at 3740 Eakin Road, where police and fire investigators said an occupied apartment building became the scene of an intentional fire. Hawa Hassan, 30, was detained at the scene and later charged in a case that includes aggravated arson allegations. The four children escaped without reported injuries, but officials said the fire created a serious risk to people inside the building.
From the outside, the incident was first a fire response at a residential complex. Firefighters were called to the Wedgewood Apartment complex at about 8:15 a.m. after a structure fire was reported. The building was not empty. Court records say multiple occupants, including minor children, were inside as alarms sounded. After crews responded, investigators determined the fire began in a bedroom of one apartment. A visible char mark on the outside of one unit later showed where the flames or heat had reached beyond the room. The scene then shifted from emergency response to criminal investigation.
Police said the turning point came from what witnesses heard and what the children reported. One witness told investigators Hassan said she had set the apartment on fire. Another witness found four children who said their mother started the fire with a lighter. The children also said she threatened to kill them, telling them she was “going to kill them all,” according to the complaint. Officers detained Hassan at the scene, and court records say she admitted setting the fire. The records do not describe the exact words of the alleged admission or whether it was recorded on body camera.
The charge of aggravated arson reflects the danger investigators say spread beyond one room. A bedroom fire in a multiunit building can threaten the apartment where it starts, neighboring units and people trying to escape through smoke-filled halls. The complaint said smoke, heat and fire conditions created a substantial risk of serious physical harm. That risk, along with the presence of children and other occupants, is a key reason the case was treated as a felony. No injuries were reported, and officials have not said that the fire displaced other residents for a long period, but the building’s occupancy remains central to the case.
Hassan’s children were placed with Franklin County Children’s Services after the fire. Officials did not release their names, ages or where they were taken after leaving the apartment. The agency’s involvement signals that the children’s living situation became a separate matter from the criminal case. Court records cited in public reports also said Hassan and her husband divorced in 2025. Those records do not say whether the divorce had any connection to the fire, and authorities have not released a motive. The available reports also do not say who had legal custody of the children before the incident.
The criminal case developed over several days. Initial reports said Hassan faced a first-degree felony aggravated arson charge, along with misdemeanor domestic violence and assault charges. Later local reporting said a Franklin County grand jury indicted her on two felony counts of aggravated arson and four misdemeanor counts. One report listed a May 4 court date, while another later account said she was scheduled to appear May 12 and was held on a $2 million bond. Public reports did not confirm whether Hassan had hired an attorney, had one appointed or entered a plea.
Fire investigators are likely to remain important witnesses if the case advances. They would be expected to explain how they determined the bedroom fire was intentional, what burn patterns or debris they examined and whether any ignition source was recovered. Police witnesses may be asked to describe Hassan’s detention, her alleged admission and how the children’s statements were reported. Defense attorneys could question the reliability of witness accounts, the timing of the statements or whether the evidence proves who started the fire. The public record so far does not include a full investigative report, photographs from inside the apartment or a complete list of witnesses.
The neighborhood context is simple but important. This was not a remote building or a vacant structure. It was an apartment complex on a Columbus street where several households could be affected by one unit catching fire. In such settings, smoke can move faster than flames, alarms can become the first warning for people who cannot see the fire and firefighters must account for residents in more than one unit. Police said the children escaped safely, but the allegations describe a fire set in a place where escape was not guaranteed.
As of May 23, the public record showed Hassan facing prosecution in Franklin County while the children remained in the care of child welfare authorities. The next major milestone is the next court hearing on the felony arson case.
Author note: Last updated May 23, 2026.