Coroner identifies teens who died in Franklin County house fire
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office has released the identity of the two teenage boys who died last week in a house fire.
The boys were identified as 13-year-old Bently Fields and 15-year-old Rylan Fields. The coroner’s office previously said the boys were declared dead at the scene of the fire.
Autopsies were performed May 1. No other updates were provided.
The boys were students in the Franklin County School District. In a statement posted to Facebook, the district said counselors and mental health support staff are available for as long as necessary.
“We are deeply saddened for the family and our school community,” the district wrote.
A GoFundMe to raise funds for the boys’ funerals said Bently Fields was supposed to graduate from middle school in a few weeks, and he loved to fish and make YouTube videos. Rylan Fields was described as tech-savvy and could fix phones and computers.
A second GoFundMe fundraiser was created to support the boys’ stepmother and her 3-year-old child.
Boys’ father charged with arson
The boys’ father, 43-year-old Dustin Fields, has been charged with first-degree arson inthe fire. It happened at his home on Flat Creek Road early April 30, and after firefighters controlled the flames, they found the two boys and a dog dead inside the home.
Dustin Fields was arrested the next day. His arrest citation said he used an accelerant to start the fire, knowing his sons were inside.
A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives K-9 detected the accelerant on Fields’ shoes and at various locations of the home, including where the boys were found, according to the citation.
Dustin Fields was arraigned in Franklin District Court Monday, where he requested to be released for the boys’ funeral.
No action was taken, but the commonwealth attorney’s office objected to the motion. Franklin District Judge Chris Olds told Fields to file a motion for the request, and it will be considered.
Dustin Fields’ next scheduled court date is May 13 for a preliminary hearing, according to court records.
This story was originally published May 6, 2025 at 2:57 PM.
