Rock Rapids, Iowa — Two Rock Rapids juveniles are in trouble with the law after they allegedly lit a round bale on fire in Rock Rapids.
According to Rock Rapids Fire Chief Ed Reck, the Rock Rapids Fire Department was called to a round bale on fire in the 200 block of South Pearl Avenue in eastern Rock Rapids about 3:15 on Friday afternoon, June 26th.
Reck says they were able to put out the fire with the turret on top of their new fire truck, and that damage was limited to the bale itself.
According to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, as a result of the investigation made at the scene by the Rock Rapids Fire Department, it was determined the bale had been lit on fire intentionally. The deputy on the scene then launched an investigation into the fire.
The sheriff’s office reports that a witness reported seeing three juveniles in the area of the hay bale just prior to the bale starting on fire. The deputy canvassed the area and was able to locate the three juveniles.
The report says that after interviewing the juveniles, it is believed that only two of them were present at the time the fire was lit. As a result of this investigation, the deputy says that a juvenile male and a juvenile female were both cited into juvenile court for reckless use of fire, a serious misdemeanor. The bale was a total loss and is estimated to be worth about $60.
Chief Reck says the bale did flare up again after they left, and they had to go back out and extinguish it again. He says both visits by firefighters amounted to only 20 minutes total.
