Preston County woman charged in Oakland business fire
Jan. 19—OAKLAND — A Terra Alta, West Virginia, woman is awaiting trial in district court after she was charged in a small fire that occurred last summer at an Oakland business where she was employed, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office.
Rachel Lin Giffen was recently arrested by the West Virginia State Fire Marshal's Office during investigation of a Jan. 9 fire that occurred at the End Zone convenience store in the 34000 block of Veterans Highway in Terra Alta.
During interviews by investigators, Giffen reportedly admitted to starting a fire in a wooden bin outside Fox's Pizza in Oakland while she was employed there. Oakland Volunteer Fire Department extinguished the fire.
Review of surveillance video of the Oakland fire reportedly factored in the arrest that took place after West Virginia fire investigators contacted the Maryland fire marshal's office.
Giffen was charged with arson and released after posting an unsecured bond of $5,000 set by a district court commissioner.
