A lone “domestic disturbance” incident took a more terrifying turn when Texas woman Crystal D. Randall accidentally set her apartment on fire.
As per reports from the Harris County Fire Marshal on Facebook, investigators found that a fire was intentionally set in a Texas complex after a woman burned clothing in a BBQ pit on an apartment patio.
Brandi Dumas, the Harris County Fire Marshal PIO, later confirmed to Fox26 Houston, that the Sheldon Fire Department was called to extinguish the flames of the burning building.
Upon their arrival at the scene, investigators learnt that the couple faced some domestic dispute. In a fit of anger, Crystal burnt her boyfriend’s clothes in a barbecue pit on the balcony of the apartment.
However, the fire became uncontrollable and nearly engulfed the building while she struggled to put it out completely.
Women charged after settling her boyfriend clothes on fire destroying about 13 apartment units.https://t.co/Y7l79mn69O
— News Share @James (@bluemarble001) January 7, 2026
The woman initially believed that she had taken care of the fire, but “it later rekindled and spread to the building.” Eventually, the fire spread to all 13 units of apartment, leaving them heavily damaged.
Sheldon Community Fire & Rescue reported that the South Lake Villas apartments’ 13 units were “heavily and irreparably damaged.”
“HCFMO Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set after a woman ignited clothing in a barbecue pit on an apartment patio. Although she attempted to extinguish the fire, it later rekindled and spread to the building. No injuries were reported. The woman is charged with reckless arson,” the statement from the Harris County Fire Marshal read.
Fortunately, none of the residents were injured in the incident, but the feeling of discontent was evident. Shanteria White, a resident in the apartment who managed to salvage some of her belongings in the building, claimed she nearly had a “panic attack,” as per Click2Houston.com.
TEXAS: A woman has been charged after a domestic dispute led to a fire at an apartment complex in Sheldon, Harris County. Investigators say she burned her boyfriend’s clothes in a BBQ pit on a balcony, but the fire later rekindled and spread into the attic. pic.twitter.com/ogkOTrugTA
— Evoclique (@Evoclique_) January 7, 2026
White had an outburst of emotion when she was told about how a couple’s argument previously caused them to lose the roof over their head.
“I honestly don’t understand how no person can do that. You know, it’s people around you. It’s kids around you. It is nothing worth, you know, losing your life over, going to jail over, it just is not worth it,” she stated.
“I worked so hard for my stuff. So to know that everything’s just gone in a blink of an eye is kind of devastating. It’s terrible when you didn’t do it, and it happened for somebody else,” White added.
On Monday evening, the firefighters had to return to the scene after an ember rekindled the fire. As the respective authorities dealt with the emergency, a firefighter got injured after falling through the ceiling of the second floor. He was rushed to a nearby hospital.
The apartment remains under investigation as of now. Meanwhile, authorities confirmed that Crystal D. Randall has been charged with reckless arson. Though the woman was not injured in the fire, she was taken to a hospital for reasons not yet disclosed to the public.
