A Beverly woman was arraigned today on attempted murder charges for allegedly pouring gasoline on an apartment building’s porch and setting it alight earlier this year, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

SYRETTA COPELAND (D.O.B. 7/9/80) is also charged with arson and causing injury to a firefighter for the Sept. 10 blaze at 130 Devon St., which caused about $185,000 in damages to that building, an adjacent building, and two parked cars.

Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Corke recommended that Copeland be held on $20,000 cash bail during proceedings in Roxbury District Court. Judge Ernest Sarason set bail at $7,000.

Copeland was identified as a suspect shortly after the fire and a warrant for her arrest issued on Sept. 12. She allegedly assaulted a Beverly Police officer during the course of her arrest the next day, however, and has been held on that and other offenses pending her arraignment on the Boston charges.

Boston Police and Boston Fire personnel responded to the Devon Street scene shortly before 5:00 a.m. to find smoke and flames coming from the back of the building. During the course of their suppression efforts, one of the firefighters suffered a lower back injury; he and a resident who suffered a deep laceration to her leg were transported to Boston Medical Center for treatment.

Police and firefighters determined that the fire originated at the building’s open back porch at the rear of the first floor. It climbed the entire height of the building, destroying the upper rear porches and damaging several apartment interiors. Fire investigators additionally determined that an effort had been made to set the front porch on fire as well; that effort failed when the fire went out on its own.

Based on witness statements and other evidence developed by detectives and firefighters assigned to the Fire Investigation Unit, authorities believe the arsonist set the fire on the back porch first, and then moved to the front of the building. A resident who had heard noises coming from the rear of the building went to the front entrance and saw a heavyset black woman pouring gasoline on the porch and striking matches.

“Are you crazy?” that resident asked. “There are people and children living in this building.”

“I don’t give a [expletive],” the woman replied before fleeing the scene in a dark Toyota Camry.

Fire investigators soon learned that the unknown woman was a romantic partner of one of the building’s residents. With that information, they soon identified her as Copeland. The resident who interacted with the arsonist near the front porch identified Copeland in a photograph.

Copeland will return to court on Dec. 19. She is represented by attorney Yolanda Acevedo.