Yoga-Pant Blaze at Easton Flats: Woman’s Fiery Stunt Sparks Hallway Ruckus, Tenant Says

EASTON, Saturday — What started as an argument about a closed door turned into an impromptu, low-budget spectacle straight out of a slapstick newsreel Wednesday night, when police say a 29-year-old woman identified as Tawny L. Cartwright tried to illuminate her own intestinal fireworks with a fireplace lighter — sending a brief, startling plume of yellow flame across a second-floor landing and turning neighbors into unwilling witnesses.

According to the Easton Police blotter, Cartwright, dressed in skin-tight gray yoga pants and a hoodie, showed up at the Easton Flats apartment building shortly after 9 p.m. and refused to leave after an altercation with the tenant of Unit 24. Things escalated, witnesses say, when she allegedly locked the tenant out of the unit and then — in what onlookers later described as a desperate, theatrical attempt to “prove a point” — declared she could set off a “butt torch.”

“I thought she was joking at first,” said a neighbor who asked to be identified only as Mark, 42. “She was shouting about being ‘done with polite notice,’ then she unsheathed this big fireplace lighter out of her pocket. Next thing I know she’s kind of squatting like she’s trying to light a campfire, and — boom — a bright yellow burst. Everybody screamed.”

Surveillance footage from a hallway camera reportedly shows Cartwright crouching near the doorway, producing a long handheld fireplace lighter. Several tenants said she appeared to intentionally expel and ignite a plume of gas from behind — producing a startling, but short-lived flame that licked several inches above the floor before sputtering out. The gust left scorch marks on a discarded pizza box and a section of the stairwell’s paint, according to an officer’s report.

“Thankfully, the flame didn’t reach anything major,” an Easton Fire Department spokesperson told reporters. “It could have been a very different situation if there had been more combustible material, or if she’d used an accelerant. We’re lucky this didn’t go up into a serious structure fire or cause injuries.”

Cartwright’s motivations remain murky. Neighbors described a heated exchange about unpaid rent, mailbox keys, and an argument over whether a stray cat belonged to Unit 24 or 26. Friends of the tenant say Cartwright became angrier after being told she could not re-enter the apartment without permission, and that she “wanted to make a scene.” When asked later why she’d perform such a hazardous stunt, she allegedly told police — in a quote that may live forever on apartment gossip chains — “I wanted them to know I’m not to be pushed out like a piece of furniture.”

Police were called after other residents dialed 911 in alarm. Officers arrived within minutes and say they removed Cartwright from the premises after a brief, sometimes shouted negotiation. No serious injuries were reported; a 62-year-old woman with mobility challenges who lives near the stairwell was checked at the scene for shock and released. Firefighters ventilated the hallway, and property management temporarily shut the corridor pending a paint and safety inspection.

Charges brought against Cartwright included reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct. At a hush-and-gavel arraignment the next morning, Magistrate Harlan admonished her sternly and ordered a temporary no-contact provision between Cartwright and the tenant while the investigation proceeds. Bail was set — and paid — by an embarrassed friend who declined comment.

Local residents say the incident has left the Easton Flats with a lingering mix of annoyance and incredulous amusement. “I’ve lived here 12 years and I’ve seen some things,” said Maria Lopez, a long-time tenant. “But I never thought I’d see someone try that. Yoga pants and pyrotechnics — not what you expect on a Tuesday.”

Management says it will pursue repairs to the stairwell and consider further security camera coverage. The incident has also prompted a short, impromptu neighborhood safety meeting — and a new ban on personal lighters in common areas posted on the building bulletin board.

As for Cartwright, her next court date (in this fictional tale) is set for next month, when neighbors say many will not be surprised if she returns with even more dramatic — and probably less flammable — tactics to press her case.