Leslie G. Truitt, 70, of Ephrata, was charged with arson, cruelty to animals, and other related offenses after a fire occurred inside her home after 5 a.m. on Oct.9 in the 100 block of East Chestnut Street, Ephrata, according to documents filed by Ephrata police.

The preliminary investigation found the cause of the fire to be suspicious. Investigators spoke with witnesses and learned a woman was seen leaving the area shortly before the fire.

FORT DODGE, Iowa — 34‐year‐old Brianna D. Anderson of Fort Dodge was taken into custody Thursday, and is charged with Arson in the First Degree in an alleged connection to a July house fire.

A Fort Dodge woman was arrested on Thursday in connection to a months-long arson investigation. On the morning of July 13th, the Fort Dodge Fire Department and Police Department responded to a report of a house fire in the 300 block of South 15th Street.

Early Wednesday morning, Fort Dodge Fire Rescue responded to a house fire that injured two. When crews arrived at 212 S. 16th St. in Fort Dodge at about 4:30 a.m. they found fire coming out a home's ground floor windows and a man stranded on the roof after he escaped a second floor window.