Woman charged with arson after fire at Rice Lake hotel Saturday

RICE LAKE, Wis. (WEAU) - A woman is in custody after a fire prompted an evacuation of a Rice Lake hotel Saturday morning.

36-year-old Jessica Biscobing of Gordon was arrested by Rice Lake police after a fire at AmericInn in Rice Lake. She was charged Monday with arson and 2nd-degree recklessly endangering safety in Barron County Circuit Court, according to online court records.

According to a release from the Rice Lake Police Department, police and the Rice Lake Fire Department were called to AmericInn for a report of a fire at 11:18 a.m. Saturday. The fire was reported as being outside of the building, but crews found the fire was actually inside of the hotel. Guests were evacuated while the Fire Department put out the fire, which caused significant damage to the inside of the hotel.

Police said in the release that after investigating, multiple witnesses said that there was a person that had been acting suspiciously in the hotel and near the location of the fire. Hotel staff said this person had locked themself inside of a storage room and barricaded the door. Police were able to break down the barricade and take Biscobing into custody.

In a post on Facebook Saturday, the Rice Lake Fire Department said that the fire at AmericInn was quickly under control and no one was hurt. The Fire Department said the fire is under investigation.

Biscobing is being held at the Barron County Jail on a $1,000 cash bond and can’t have any contact with the Rice Lake AmericInn, according to online court records. Her initial court appearance is on Feb. 8.

Assisting the police and fire departments were the Barron County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin State Patrol and Marshfield Medical Center Ambulance.

Today at 11:20am the RLFD was dispatched to the AmericInn for a possible outside fire, upon arrival the crews found a...
Posted by City of Rice Lake Fire Department on Saturday, February 4, 2023