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Two DeGraff area teens each was charged with a felony count of arson Thursday related to a fire they allegedly set in a barn at 381 E. Miami St., DeGraff.
Nolan Rayles, 14, of 114 N. Main St., and Kyle Robinson, 14, of 110 W. Miami St., each was arrested shortly after the fire was discovered about 5 p.m., and they were lodged in the Logan County Juvenile Detention Center.
They told deputies of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office they had been walking in the area, and went inside the barn owned by Robert Cook to get out of the cold. They said they then lit a pop can on fire “to stay warm,” but the fire soon spread to some nearby straw, so they exited the building.
A Quincy Fire Department firefighter just happened to be passing by the barn about 5 p.m., and observed smoke coming from the structure. The firefighter said he also observed two teenage boys running from the barn.
Inside the building, the firefighter found the second floor of the barn was on fire and he tried to extinguish the blaze. However, the fire started to get out of control, so he exited the structure, he said.
The DeGraff Fire Department and Riverside EMS responded to the scene. No injuries were reported, and the blaze was quickly contained. Damage was minor to the barn, and a dollar amount of damage was not available at press time.
Witnesses on the scene said they observed the two teen boys hiding in nearby brush. Deputies on patrol in the area located Nolan and Kyle by the railroad tracks on the east side of the village.