At roughly 12:58 a.m. on Friday, emergency crews from Dallas Fire‑Rescue (DFR) rushed to a one-story house on Prosperity Avenue in East Oak Cliff after multiple 911 calls reporting a fire. Flames were already heavy when they arrived — confined to a front corner room of the home — and crews quickly began battling the blaze.
But as firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, the situation turned dangerous in an unexpected way. According to investigators, 37-year-old Jermecia Denise Murphy — identified as a nearby resident — pulled out a knife and stabbed the fire hoses responding to the blaze, puncturing them repeatedly and causing water to spray from as many as six holes.
Witnesses at the scene reportedly heard Murphy admit aloud that she had ignited the fire herself — a statement that would prove pivotal in the investigation.
Despite her interference, firefighters managed to contain and fully extinguish the blaze by about 1:30 a.m. No one was inside the house when the fire started — and thankfully no injuries were reported.
Following her actions, Murphy was detained on the scene. Authorities say she faces multiple charges, including criminal mischief, interfering with public duties, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana. Officials from DFR also confirmed they plan to file a first-degree arson charge.
She remains in custody at the Dallas County Jail, held on a combined bond of $16,000.
Investigators continue to piece together how the fire was ignited. Their preliminary conclusion — based on fire-scene evidence — is that the blaze was incendiary in nature, set by an unknown heat source used intentionally to ignite combustibles in the front room of the house.
As the case moves forward, the decision to slash fire hoses while the blaze raged — at a scene where innocent lives could have been at risk — has already drawn sharp concern. Fire-rescue officials say the act not only endangered their operations, but potentially increased danger to surrounding properties and community safety.
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