Three Newton boys charged in August house fire
Setting off a bottle rocket, using plastic bottles full of paper for BB gun target practice and simply torching pieces of paper are three ways in which three Newton teenagers are suspected of starting a house fire on Aug. 18.
All three of the suspects are from Newton: Austin J. Clark, 17; William W. Farr, 17; and Aaron D. Reeves, 15. The house, located at 1113 First St. N. and owned by Leon and Margaret Reeves — believed to be Aaron Reeves’ parents — suffered “heavy fire and smoke damage,” according to the Newton Fire Department. No one was injured.
The home was vacant at the time of the fires, and it appears the Reeves family had been moving out of the house, Newton Fire Chief Mike Knoll said. Few items were in the home aside from pieces of furniture, he added.
While the boys’ actions were deliberately set on starting fires, Knoll as well as Newton police decided they were not trying to burn the house down.
“No, we feel they were experimenting with fire,” Knoll said.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office was called in to assist in the investigation.
The fire department received a call at 9:01 p.m. on Aug. 18 from one of the home’s neighbors, who was pulling into their driveway when they noticed fire coming through the house’s windows on the north and west sides.
Aaron Reeves allegedly admitted to police that he, Clark and Farr went inside the house that evening and started one of the fires by lighting toilet paper in a sink. Police said Farr admitted to lighting paper, as well as igniting pop bottles full of paper by shooting them with a BB gun. Police said Farr also admitted to placing a bottle rocket in an upstairs bed cushion before igniting it.
Both Aaron Reeves and Farr were charged with reckless use of fire on Aug. 24. Clark was interviewed by police and charged with reckless use of fire on Aug. 30, after he allegedly admitted to giving a lighter to one of the other boys to set paper on fire in the living room.
None of the boys contacted the fire department after fleeing the house, police said. All three boys were referred to juvenile services.
• The Newton Fire Department responded to a house fire Saturday afternoon at 5454 F48 West, approximately two miles west of Newton.
The home, owned by Sherman and Susan Swank, had fire damage and major smoke damage to the basement, while only moderate smoke damage was sustained by the main level of the home, the fire department said. Authorities believe the fire was caused by material, possibly clothing, being stored too close and in contact with a baseboard heater.
Knoll said the fire department received a call at 3:45 p.m. from Sherman Swank, who was the only person home at the time of the fire. Swank was asleep at the time of the fire when he awoke to the smell of smoke and the sound of the fire detectors. He was able to get out of the home and avoid injury.
Assisting in the effort to put out the fire were the Baxter and Colfax fire departments.
“When you’re dealing with a country fire, since there’s no hydrants out there, we request the other departments bring us tanker trucks for additional supply,” Knoll said.
