Kids charged with starting fire that destroyed 2 homes

A 10-year-old girl and 11-year-old boy face Juvenile Court charges of arson following a fire Friday that destroyed two homes in Northaven.

The children were playing in a storage shed of a carport at a home in the 5200 block of Bitter Creek Drive about 11:30 a.m. when they started a fire, said Earle Farrell, spokesman for the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.

The fire spread from the carport to the home and then to a neighboring home, gutting both residences, Farrell said.

The children were being watched by a 14-year-old while their mother was at work, he said.

Contact Tom Charlier at thomas.charlier@commercialappeal.com or 901-529-2572 or at Twitter at @thomasrcharlier.