Two boys confess to starting fire in Aurora's Fidelity Building

Two Aurora boys confessed Friday to starting a fire Thursday that destroyed Aurora's historic Fidelity Building.

The boys, aged 13 and 14, were named by witnesses during an investigation by the state fire marshal's office and the Aurora Police Department, said Aurora Police Chief Godfrey Brokenrope.

Brokenrope said officials from the fire marshal's office determined the fire to be intentional early Friday morning.

Following a tip and interviews from witnesses, the investigators brought the boys in for interviews at about noon, when they confessed.

"It was really quick," Brokenrope said. "We were really pleased."

The boys started the fire Thursday afternoon with paper and lighters, he said. He didn't know whether they had intended to burn down the building.

Brokenrope declined to name the boys because of their age. He said the case would be referred to the Hamilton County attorney's office.

The boys were allowed to go home Friday.

No part of the 8,700-square-foot building can be salvaged, and the entire building will be torn down, said Aurora firefighter Tom Cox.

The assessed building value is $87,310, according to the Aurora Police Department.

Holly Nguyen of Houston owns the building. Reached by telephone, she said she was told by family of the fire late Thursday night and is unsure what she will do with the lot. Nguyen bought the building three and a half years ago from John Stuchlik, who owned the building 40 years prior.

"I fell in love with the building and the cozy town," Nguyen said. "It is just the most beautiful building."

Sensations Salon and Tanning was located on the first floor of the building and was destroyed.

"I'm just in shock. Everything is gone," said Dee Christenson, Sensations owner. She opened Sensations almost seven years ago, she said.

Next door, Mitchell's Recreation suffered damage and is closed indefinitely.

The Aurora Utilities Department returned power to the block surrounding the Fidelity Building on Friday morning, and most businesses were open Friday afternoon.

Grand Island, York and Hastings fire departments assisted the Aurora Fire Department in fighting the fire. The Hamilton County Mutual Aid Association sent squads from Marquette, Hampton, Phillips and Giltner to the scene. The state fire marshal's office also helped Thursday night.

"We really couldn't have done it without all the help we got from our fellow fire departments," Cox said.

The Aurora department kept four to five firefighters on the scene Thursday night and Friday, he said.

Sitting in folding chairs, David Sampson and his wife watched firefighters assess the building Friday afternoon. The couple is from York and said the fire "was worth a road trip."

"We remember when this happened in York," he said. "This is sad, but you have to be thankful it wasn't the whole street."

Although the fire did not spread, Susan Williams said its effects will haunt the courthouse square.

"We're going to miss looking outside and seeing our little castle," said Williams, who owns Susan's Books and Gifts, the store around the corner from the Fidelity Building.

And as Georgia and Mike Eberhardt watched the debris and dust clear, the occasion was bittersweet.

The couple had their first date at the teen dance club once housed in the Fidelity Building's third floor. Friday was the Aurora couple's 38th wedding anniversary.

"I woke up and told him, ’Happy anniversary,'" Georgia said. "But, now, looking at the building, I guess it's not very happy."