Woodstock Walmart fully reopens after New Year’s Eve arson with $5M damage

The Walmart at 1275 Lake Avenue in Woodstock fully reopened to customers on Sunday, Jan. 26, nearly a month after a New Year’s Eve fire investigators say was intentionally set and that caused about $5 million in damage. The closure forced a staged return to service and disrupted regular work for store associates and vendors who help keep the location stocked.

The blaze broke out the evening of Dec. 31, 2025. Timing in reports varies slightly, with one account saying the fire was reported “around 7:20 p.m.” and another saying it happened “just before 7:30 p.m.” Firefighters arriving on scene found the store being evacuated and employees reporting an active fire inside. The building’s automatic sprinkler system had already extinguished the flames near the rear of the store, and crews remained more than two hours to monitor conditions and assist with smoke removal.

Walmart closed the store to in-person shoppers immediately after the incident, with a drive-up pharmacy remaining available while cleanup and inspections proceeded. The company staged a partial reopening on Jan. 6 that restored food, fresh and consumable aisles along with a drive-up pharmacy; the in-store Pharmacy and Vision Center were reported back to full operation at that time. The McHenry County Department of Health worked with Walmart representatives to remove impacted food, verify disposal, and ensure required cleaning and sanitization of grocery areas before restocking.

The criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court identifies 21-year-old Woodstock resident Adilyn R. Monette as the suspect and alleges she drove to the store, covered numerous baby cribs in camping fuel and ignited them with matches. The complaint cites Walmart managers saying damages exceeded $5 million. Charges were initially filed as arson with damage to real or personal property and criminal damage to property and later were upgraded to aggravated arson, a Class X felony. Court records show Monette was indicted on aggravated arson charges and did not contest prosecutors’ request to detain her earlier this month.

Emergency response involved the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District with assistance from the Wonder Lake Fire Protection District, which helped ventilate smoke. No injuries were reported. Woodstock Mayor Mike Turner posted that he toured the store with Walmart District Manager Dave Roper and praised the recovery: “The turnaround has been remarkable. The store is clean, fully restocked, and open for business thanks to an extraordinary team effort.” Walmart’s communications said the company was “pleased” to reopen food, fresh and consumables earlier in January and later thanked the community for its “patience and understanding.”

For associates and people who rely on the store, the reopening restores full access to services and jobs that had been disrupted by the incident. The criminal case remains active; court dates and additional details about repairs and any company safety reviews were not released and will be key to watch as the case and recovery move forward.