PEA RIDGE — Arson - the cause of fires on the Harvey Keene farm - is being investigated by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

Twice within three days, area firefighters were dispatched to structure fires on the Keene farm on Commonwealth Road northwest of Pea Ridge.

At 3:54 a.m. Friday, April 2, and again at 12:31 a.m. Monday, April 5, calls reporting the fires were made to Benton County Central Communications, which dispatched four volunteer fire departments.

Benton County fire marshalWill Hanna said the fires are definitely caused by arson. The incidents have been turned over to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

“The cause of the is the responsibility of the fire marshal,” Sheriff Keith Ferguson said. “The crime scene is ours.”

“This was a very high dollar loss,” Hanna said, explaining that although the chicken houses did not have chickens in them, they were being used to store farm equipment. He said the fires appear to have been set in the equipment which include a hay bailer, farm equipment and trucks. Therewas hay in one of the chicken houses.

“The fire started in the cab of this vehicle,” Hanna said of the fire in one of the chicken houses which began in a feeder truck.

Friday, firefighters were on the scene for about four hours. On Monday, the fire was extinguished within half an hour. Because of the location, tanker trucks were used to supply water.

Firefighters from Pea Ridge, Little Flock, Northeast Benton County and Avoca volunteer fire departments responded to the scene of the fires which destroyed two chicken houses on Friday and a third on Monday.

News, Pages 1 on 04/07/2010