Arson suspected in Highland Township post office fire; $100K in damages

Highland Township — A fire Sunday night at the U.S. Post Office branch on Beach Farm Circle is being investigated as arson.

Deputies responding at about 10 p.m. Sunday to a burglary alarm at the post office found flames and smoke in the lobby, which is open 24 hours a day. The deputies called the Highland Township Fire Department, which extinguished the flames.

An Oakland County Sheriff's Office fire investigator requested surveillance video from the postal inspector and observed someone entering the lobby, igniting paper and placing it inside of a trash receptacle. 

Investigators report more than $100,000 in damages as a result of the fire. From what was observed on the video, authorities believe the person who set the fire was a White female wearing a black hat and gray coat, carrying a red handbag and wearing white tennis shoes.

There is a reward of up to $5,000 from the Arson Prevention Reward Program via the Detroit Crime Commission for information leading to an arrest and an additional $1,000 reward from Crime Stoppers. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP. Information may be shared anonymously.

The investigation is a joint operation of the Postal Inspector’s Office, Sheriff's Office Fire Investigations Unit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Highland Township Fire Department.