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Arson charges filed in November fire that destroyed Carpentersville apartment building

January 14, 2026 at 5:22 pm CST

Firefighters battled a large blaze at the Carpentersville apartment complex in the 100 block of Meadowdale Court in the early morning hours of Nov. 29, 2025. — Firefighters battled a large fire in the early morning hours of Nov. 29, 2025, at a Carpentersville apartment complex on Meadowdale Court. An Indiana man has now been charged with arson, accused of setting the fire that displaced 24 families. (Photo provided by Carpentersville Fire Department)

The Carpentersville Police Department has announced the arrest of a Gary, Indiana, man accused of setting a fire that destroyed an apartment building in late November.

Garland H. McGhee, 30, faces felony charges in Kane County court in the Nov. 29 blaze, including aggravated and residential arson, arson to personal property and criminal damage with fire or explosives, according to a news release.

Carpentersville officers arrested McGhee on Wednesday in Indiana with the help of the Indiana Department of Corrections and the FBI’s Chicago field office, according to the release.

The fire gutted an apartment building at 104 Meadowdale Court and left the 24 families living there homeless. The building and its contents were a total loss, Carpentersville officials said.

“From the outset, department detectives treated the incident as a priority due to the severity of the offense, the level of property damage and the potential risk to public safety,” according to the release.

Janelle Walker

Originally from North Dakota, Janelle covered the suburbs and collar counties for nearly 20 years before taking a career break to work in content marketing. She is excited to be back in the newsroom.