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Firebug busted with homemade Molotov cocktails after 36-hour blaze-setting streak: police
By Julia Bonavita
Published February 23, 2026
A Texas woman was arrested after police say she was caught testing Molotov cocktails, sparking numerous fires throughout a city outside Dallas.
Authorities with the Commerce Police Department were investigating the source of several fires that had happened across Commerce, Texas, over the course of 36 hours last week, officials said in a statement.
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Jamia Howell is charged with arson and possession of a prohibited weapon in Commerce, Texas, according to the Commerce Police Department. (Commerce Police Department)
On Saturday, a night-shift officer spotted a fire at Centennial Park – located approximately 70 miles from Dallas – and observed an unknown woman leaving the area.
Upon confronting the woman, identified as Jamia Howell, authorities discovered nine homemade bombs – commonly known as Molotov cocktails – inside her backpack, according to the news release.
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Authorities say Jamia Howell was seen leaving a fire in Centennial Park on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Google Maps)
Officers also discovered a lighter and additional items used to make explosive devices inside Howell’s backpack, police said.
While in custody, Howell allegedly made comments admitting to "testing" numerous Molotov cocktails at numerous locations within Commerce.
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Authorities had been investigating a series of blazes throughout the city over the course of a 36-hour window, including one at Centennial Park in Commerce, Texas on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Google Maps)
A Molotov cocktail consists of a homemade explosive device typically made using a glass bottle filled with flammable liquid and a cloth wick.
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Howell was transported to the local jail and is charged with arson and possession of a prohibited weapon. Authorities added that additional charges are possible as the investigation remains ongoing.
The Commerce Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/firebug-busted-homemade-molotov-cocktails-after-36-hour-blaze-setting-streak-police