Fires light up Copeland, arson suspected
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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. |
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 out working in the fields, putting up the rest of the hay.