LINCOLN – Two Lincoln children, ages 9 and 10, have been charged with two counts each of Class A arson in connection with fires that damaged the town library and demolished a school bus earlier this week.

Both children have been released into the custody of their parents and are scheduled to appear in District Court in Lincoln on Feb. 18, according to Sgt. Michael Knights of the Lincoln Police Department.

The two juveniles were apprehended shortly after the fires were discovered. The first fire at the Lincoln Memorial Library was discovered by a library aide. The library restroom received only minimal damage.

As a police officer was taking information from the library aide, he allegedly saw the two suspects run past the library.

The fires took place Tuesday, Dec. 31.

The juveniles were taken into custody and then police noticed the bus burning behind the Region III vocational center.

Police say the juveniles pulled open the bus door and lit a small fire with some paper in the back of the bus. The bus, owned by Bruce Bragdon of Bragdon Bus Service in Millinocket, quickly was consumed by flames and was a total loss.

According to Knights, the two juveniles have confessed to police that they set both fires.