Man Arrested In Connection To Norman Food Pantry Fire

The Norman Fire Marshal's Office has made an arrest in connection to a food pantry fire in August.

William Pete Blanket III, 39, was in police custody on unrelated charges when he was recognized from Yellow Dog Coffee's security video from the night of the fire, according to police.

Blanket was questioned by the fire marshal and admitted to being the person seen in the video, police say.

Blanket has been charged with arson, according to Norman police.

Norman's fire marshal investigated suspected arson of a community food pantry that was set on fire on August 22 near Porter Avenue and Eufaula Street.

Security camera video provided by the pantry's host business, Yellow Dog Coffee, showed a man apparently setting fire to the pantry and watching as the flames grew.

The pantry, a shelf about the size of a vending machine, was almost completely burned.

Co-owner Sereta Wilson said it was entirely luck that her husband happened to notice the fire so quickly and extinguished it, despite having back surgery the day before.

“I mean even while we were fighting fire last night, talking to firefighters, there were people coming up on bicycles, cars, walking, wanting water or whatever we might have," Wilson said.

Ward 4 City Council Member Helen Grant volunteers with the pantry. They said plans are already in the works to replace the pantry.

"Our contractor has offered his labor and materials at no charge to us," Grant said.