By Shereen Siewert
Officials in Lincoln County are investigating an early morning house fire they consider suspicious and have one person in custody, according to a Sheriff’s Department news release.
The blaze was reported at about 5 a.m. in the town of Russell. Police have not specified the exact location of the home.
Homeowners awoke just before 5 a.m. Thursday to the smell of smoke and discovered an exterior wall was on fire. They also discovered additional small fires in the yard surrounding the home, police said.
While they were trying to put out the blaze, they spotted a male allegedly trying to set the homeowner’s pickup on fire. The suspect fled, but was tracked to a home by K9 Nina of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department. He is now in custody facing a preliminary charge of arson.
Police have not said if the suspect is an adult or a juvenile or whether he knew the victims.
