Fires light up Copeland, arson suspected
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July 16, 2013 |
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Dallas Amoth looks on as a barn on
Krause Road, full of hay and farm
equipment owned by Ben Nystrom, is
reduced to rubble after allegedly being
set afire early this morning. |
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It's still early, but it's already been a long
day for several Copeland area farm families,
Hall Mountain firefighters, sheriff's deputies
and Bonners Ferry Police after a string of fires
were allegedly set beginning around 2 a.m. today
to light up that part of the Kootenai Valley.
Thanks to the alertness of those families and
the actions of one of the farmers, one adult,
Gary Brown, 19, Bonners Ferry is in jail on
$101,000 bond, charged with second-degree arson
and DUI, and two 17-year olds were cited for
minor in possession of alcohol and could face
felony arson charges as well.
Sheriff's investigators and the Idaho State Fire
Marshal, continue to sift through the evidence,
mostly smoldering ashes, this morning.
While it's difficult to determine the exact
sequence of events, two round bales of hay were
set afire on Copeland Road near the junction
with Westside Road, and a stack of several tons
of round bales belonging to Chris Amoth were set
alight at the west end of the Copeland Bridge.
A passerby noticed the Copeland Bridge fire and
sounded the alarm, and word spread rapidly among
farm families in the area.
A family living on a hill overlooking the valley
watched headlights moving down Krause Road, then
momentarily go dark. While on the phone with the
sheriff's office, the caller reported seeing the
lights reappear and the vehicle continue on its
way.
Moments later she reported seeing another large
fire flare up, this one a barn filled with about
120 tons of alfalfa/grass hay, valued at around
$160 per ton, put up by Ben Nystrom. Also in the
metal-sided pole barn, built just two or three
years ago, were two combine headers, valued at
$30,000 each, and a fertilizer spreader.
Everything was lost, and it's not just the
monetary loss that hurts -- with wheat harvest
just two or three weeks away, it's going to be
difficult for Nystrom to replace those headers,
which are essential to bringing in this year's
crop.
The caller stayed on the line and described the
vehicle's travels, and Dallas Amoth, judging
where the vehicle would come out, set out in his
service truck to intercept the rig. He fell in
behind the car at around 3 a.m.
When the driver noticed he was being followed,
he took off, reaching speeds estimated at around
100 miles per hour as it traveled south on
Highway 95. Amoth fell back, but was able to
continue reporting on the vehicle's route as
sheriff's deputies and a city police officer
responded.
The car turned off on Oxford Road, proceeded to
Highway 2 and turned west, right into the police
officer who was waiting at Three Mile. All three
occupants were taken into custody without
further incident and transported to Boundary
County Jail.
After all the excitement, a number of farmers
were on hand at the various crime scenes to
offer their assistance to investigators.
Noticeably absent was Ben Nystrom.
He was working in the fields, putting up the
rest of the hay. |
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