Firefighters were called to the former Anna Brown Nursing Home property at 5th and Maple just after 5 p.m. to find flames shooting from the roof of the building.
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QUINCY, ILL. -- Demolition and cleanup is now underway after fire destroyed a century old apartment building in Quincy late Thursday afternoon.
It took several hours to put the fire out and an investigation into how the fire started led police and fire investigators to two 11-year-olds as primary suspects in the blaze.
After questioning, the two boys were arrested and charged with arson and criminal damage to property.
Sgt. Jeff Grote with the Quincy Police Department says it's up to the probation department to determine what happens to a juvenile after they're arrested. They can either be sent to the Adams County Youth Detention Center or they can be released to the custody of their parents.
In this situation, they were released into the custody of their parents.
Firefighters were called to the former Anna Brown Nursing Home property at 5th and Maple just after 5 p.m. to find flames shooting from the roof of the building.
The property was vacant at the time fire broke out.
Firefighters were on the scene throughout the night to deal with hot spots, with police blocking some streets in the area. Neal and Toni Hemming bought the property last year and were in the process of renovating the 1800s home into modern apartments. Click here to read more from Thursday night's fire coverage.
They watched in shock as fire consumed their investment.
"You still don't think it can really be on fire. Then I was on my way here, I could see the smoke already. By the time I got here I knew it was probably gone already because the south side of the building had flames completely engulfing the second and third floors already," Toni Hemming said.
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