Sweet Home Police have charged a 15-year-old boy in connection with the first of two fires in the former Sweet Home Mill planer building.
Police referred Sean Swaney, 15, to the Linn County Juvenile Department for reckless burning in connection to the fire.
Firefighters and police responded to the fire at 3:36 p.m. on Oct. 30. They found a small fire burning in the western end of the building, located at 2210 Tamarack St., north of the railroad tracks and northeast of Bi-Mart. The building was visible from 18th Avenue to the west.
The same building was destroyed by fire the following day, and another boy was charged with arson in that fire.
“At least with this one, it didn’t sound like the intent was to burn the entire thing down,” Lynn said. That’s the difference between reckless burning and arson.
They are two separate cases and not necessarily connected, said Police Chief Jeff Lynn. “During the investigation of the second one, information regarding this first one came out.”
Lynn said he does not anticipate further charges in either fire.