ELIZABETHTOWN — A Moriah woman was sentenced to at least four years in state prison Tuesday for setting a fire that destroyed the Dollar General store in Port Henry last year.

Lisa Demar “is very lucky that no one was seriously hurt or killed as a result of her selfish actions,” Essex County District Attorney Kristy Sprague said in press release.

Demar, 51, was working at the store and intentionally set the fire May 10, 2016, while another employee was in the building, police found. An investigation revealed that Demar set the fire because she was angry with her employer and had heard rumors she might be fired, Sprague said.

“The fire consumed the building quickly and the loss was substantial,” the release says. “The employee that was in the store at the time the fire started was able to exit without injury.”

Demar was arrested on charges of second-degree arson and first-degree reckless endangerment. She pleaded guilty in January to third-degree arson.

Demar appeared Thursday before Essex County Court Judge Richard Meyer, who reportedly sentenced her to an indeterminate term of four to 12 years in state prison.

In addition to the employee who was in the building at the time of the fire, Sprague noted that the fire threatened homes near the store.

“Fire is unpredictable and could have easily spread further,” she said. “The Dollar General was very convenient to have in Port Henry and the impact of this fire has caused great economical loss to the company and to our local community. People lost their jobs and patrons lost a resource that they enjoyed having.”