Milwaukee woman charged, accused of discarding cigarette in vacant building before 5-alarm fire

Milwaukee County Sheriff\'s Office

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A woman is now charged in connection to a massive fire on Milwaukee's north side Wednesday, May 20. 

The vacant building near 32nd and Hampton was destroyed.

Twenty-two-year-old Ellen Stevens is now charged with negligent handling of burning material, after allegedly discarding a cigarette in the building. 

According to the criminal complaint, Stevens shared a post on Snapchat, saying, "I may or may not have lit [the building] on fire today on accident."

During an interview with investigators, the complaint says Stevens admitted to trespassing on the property to explore the abandoned building with three other people. She reportedly said she smoked a cigarette on the rooftop before tossing it through an opening on the roof, and while making their way out of the building later, the group saw a pile of fallen debris smoking, with visible embers. 

The complaint says Stevens told police the group believed they'd put out the fire by stomping on the smoking debris. 

Crews are now working around the clock to demolish what's left of the building. 

Both W. Hampton and N. 32nd St. are expected to reopen to traffic Friday, May 22. Multiple sidewalks in the area will remain closed as a safety precaution. 

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