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Two juveniles charged in deadly Gatlinburg wildfire

Posted at 3:24 PM, Dec 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-07 16:57:09-05

GATLINBURG, Tennessee -- Two juvenile suspects were taken into custody Wednesday morning on arson charges in connection to the Gatlinburg, Tennessee, fire that has killed 14 people.

The arrests were announced at a 3 p.m. press conference by District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn.

"This morning two juveniles were taken into custody by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on allegations of aggravated arson," Dunn said.

The juveniles are reportedly Tennessee residents, but not residents of Sevier County, where the fire broke out.

The juveniles will go before a judge within the next 72 hours to determine whether they will be held with or without bail.

Click the image below to see photos of the destruction left behind by the fire:

Dunn said his office was considering all options, including transferring the juveniles to adult court.

"Additional charges are being considered and all options when dealing with juveniles are on the table, including the possibility of seeking the transfer of these juveniles to adult criminal court," Dunn said.

The fires are believed to be the largest in the state of Tennessee in 100 years. In addition to the 14 fatalities reported so far, at least 85 other people have been injured. The fire has reportedly damaged or destroyed more than 1,000 structures.

Officials did not say how they believe the juveniles started the fire, or what the suspected motive was.