A Webster woman has been charged with setting the fire that sent her two children to the hospital for smoke inhalation injuries and burns in late February.
Officials say Mary Elizabeth Corliss attempted to barricade herself and her children, aged 9 and 4, upstairs as the fire burned through the second floor. Corliss did not call for help, though she had her phone with her at the time of the fire and, when a firefighter attempted to rescue her, she did not mention that there were children in the room and instead tried to push him away.
In the helmet camera video from a firefighter, it appeared Corliss blocked the top of the stairs with a headboard and a snowboard against door knob of the front door.
“Firefighters and responding police officers reported that Corliss was acting in a manner that made them think she was in a mental health crisis,” Investigator Anthony Booth wrote in a court affidavit. “She was also combative with them.”
The fire at 252 Deer Meadow Road was reported at 3:21 p.m. on Feb. 24. The home is owned by Dana and Mary Sue Corliss, who were away at the time. Only their daughter Mary Elizabeth, 38, her two children and several pets were in the building when the fire began.
A woman driving by the house reported seeing Mary Elizabeth Corliss at a second story window with her arms on the sill. The window and the one next to it were broken, blood was on the side of the house and smoke was coming out of the house, investigators said. The woman called out to Corliss, but she did not reply and did not call for help.
When the emergency call came in, Webster Fire Chief Emmett Bean was just down the road using a grader to push back snow banks. Bean, who is also the town road agent, drove the grader to the house, went inside and found fire at the top of a second story stairwell, but was blocked from going further by the flames.
Firefighters eventually used ladders to reach Corliss and discovered the two children inside. One by one, Corliss and each child was rescued and all three were later hospitalized after the fire.
One of Corliss’ children told her father that she heard “her brother screaming and started to feel sick and lose feeling in her arms and legs,” according to the affidavit.
As Corliss was carried into an ambulance, police officers recalled that Corliss shouted statements like “I am anointed by God,” and “you’ll die if you eat me.”
Corliss later told one of her psychiatrists that a dog had knocked over a candle which ignited the blanket she threw on top of the fire to put it out. However, officials said family dogs were downstairs when the fire chief entered and could not have gotten upstairs because of the headboard and baby gate blocking the doorway. Furthermore, there was no evidence that Corliss used a blanket to extinguish the fire.
Investigators obtained a warrant to search her phone and said they fond numerous videos that showed Corliss believed in numerous Q-Anon conspiracy theories.
In an interview with an investigator, Corliss said she had been taking 5 milliliters a week of turpentine to fend off COVID-19, which she said could have caused her to believe things that weren’t real.
The father of the 9-year-old girl is working through family court to retain custody of their child.
“He and his family fully support the efforts of the State of New Hampshire Fire Marshall’s office as well as the Merrimack County Attorney’s office in pursuing justice for these two child victims,” his attorney Corey MacDonald said. “The road ahead while uncertain, will be an ordeal for all involved.”
Corliss has pleaded not guilty to one count of arson, two counts of reckless conduct and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and is currently out on bail.
“Mary is very glad that her children are safe and healthy,” said attorney Mark Sisti, who is representing Corliss. “Mary wanted no harm done to her children. She loves them very much and she’s working hard on her own issues.”