On Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., a fire occurred at a residence located at 301 Green Street.

Bainbridge Public Safety later apprehended two juveniles, aged nine and 10, in connection with the starting the fire. They were both turned over to their parents/guardians.

The building, which had reportedly been broken into multiple times recently, is believed to be an apartment where migrant workers reside when in town.

The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire and was devoid of furniture, but was full of old mattresses.

BPS Fire Chief Doyle Welch was the first on scene and he immediately began to fight the fire using the attack line and tank on Engine 215. H accessed the fire through the building’s side window and helped to contain the fire as additional BPS officers arrived on the scene.

As BPS officers arrived, they immediately suited up in their personal protective equipment and attached a supply line to the hydrant to more efficiently fight the fire.

Officers then entered the building at which time they were able to extinguish the fire. A subsequent investigation revealed that the fire had been set in a closet in the corner of one of the rooms.

After speaking to witnesses, BPS was able to determine that the two juveniles had broken into the building and set the fire. It is also believed that they had broken into the residence on multiple occasions prior to the day of the fire. BPS investigators also found evidence of numerous small fires, which had been set and extinguished in various spots throughout the building previously.

“Fortunately in this instance no one was hurt or burned, but it easily could have had a very different outcome,” Welch said. “Fire is very, very dangerous and unpredictable.”

He also encouraged parents to talk to their kids about the danger of playing with matches and lighters.