Tabor House Fire Leads To Arson Charges Against Teens

Two teens suspected of starting a March 15 fire that destroyed a house in Tabor are facing first-degree arson charges.

The two boys, both age 14, were being held in a Council Bluffs juvenile detention facility.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope said the boys were utilizing an  aerosol spray can to get a “blow torch” effect while igniting fires inside and outside the house at 804 Main St.

Investigators believe the fire that burned the structure was ignited on the front porch and moved to the roof. The two boys left the house under the belief the fires had all been extinguished, Aistrope said.

The house was owned by Mike Perkins. One of the two teens charged with starting the fire resided at the house with his family that was renting the residence from Perkins.

Firefighters from six different volunteer departments in southwest Iowa responded to the blaze. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and Tabor Police Department were in charge of the investigation.