BOSTON – The state’s highest court will consider whether to prosecute a couple accused of causing a Worcester warehouse fire two years ago that killed six firefighters.

The Supreme Judicial Court has scheduled oral arguments for Jan. 10 for the state’s appeal of a lower court decision dismissing manslaughter charges against Julie Ann Barnes and Thomas S. Levesque.

A homeless couple, Levesque and Barnes were indicted Feb. 18, 2000, on involuntary manslaughter charges for accidentally starting a fire at the abandoned Worcester Cold Storage warehouse Dec. 3, 1999.

After the two allegedly ignored the spreading fire and fled the warehouse, six firefighters died trying to rescue homeless people they thought might be inside.

Barnes is now known as Julie King.

She was adopted this summer by Tim and Debb King of Ellsworth, Maine. They took Julie into their home upon learning that their other adopted daughter was Julie’s sister.