Las Cruces firefighters were dispatched shortly before 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021 to an apartment fire at 765 Williams Lane, in City Council District 4.
Upon arrival, City firefighters found a fully engulfed second-floor apartment. One person was rescued from a second-floor balcony by fire crews.
The fire was contained within minutes. No one was injured in the blaze, but four occupants of the apartment building were displaced because of the fire.
The estimated value loss of the fire is $20,000. Investigators have determined the cause of the fire was incendiary in nature.
Byron Anthony Hicks, 73, of Las Cruces, N.M. was arrested Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 21, 2021. Hicks has been charged with one count of second-degree arson. He is detained at the Doña Ana County Detention Center.
Altogether, 23 LCFD firefighters responded to the fire, with aid from the Las Cruces Police Department and American Medical Response personnel.