Arrest made in connection with Aug. 6 house fire

A suspect is in custody in the wake of a recent house fire in Red Oak.

On the afternoon of Aug. 6, the Red Oak Fire Department was dispatched to a working house fire at 604 Miller Ave in Red Oak. The home is owned by Rodney and Connie McAplin. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered fire in an upstairs bedroom.

Fire crews were able to confine the fire to that room. There is significant smoke and water damage throughout the house. Estimate of damage is unknown at this time.

The occupants were able to evacuate prior to the fire departments arrival.

Mutual Aid and scene assistance were received from the Villisca Fire Department, Stanton Fire Department, Essex Fire Department, Elliott Fire Department, MidAmerican Utilities, the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency, the Red Oak Police Department, the American Red Cross, and Montgomery County Memorial Hospital.

The fire was under control at 3:55 p.m., with incident operations wrapping up around 6 p.m. One firefighter was treated/transported for heat exhaustion.

On Aug. 9, following a joint investigation by the Red Oak Fire Department, Iowa State Fire Marshall's Office, and the Red Oak Police Department, an arrest has been made in connection to this fire.

A 14-year old male juvenile has been arrested and criminally charged with arson-first degree, a Class B felony.

This incident has been forwarded to the Juvenile Court System for further processing. Any further requests for information should be directed to the Juvenile Court Office. The investigation is complete at this time. Any and all parties are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.