LODA — A Livingston County man has been charged with arson in Iroquois County for allegedly setting fire to two barns on his brother's farm near Loda.

Sheriff Derek Hagen said Leon L. Kaeb, 43, of Forrest, was arrested Friday after an investigation by the sheriff's and state fire marshal's offices.

State's Attorney Jim Devine said Monday that Kaeb was charged in Iroquois County Circuit Court with two counts of arson, a Class 2 felony punishable by four years of probation to up to seven years in prison.

Hagen said investigators interviewed Kaeb on Friday morning and determined that he set fire to two barns Wednesday night at a farm owned and operated by his brother.

An estimated 50 volunteer firefighters from four departments responded to the fires east of Loda about 8:20 p.m. Both structures were a complete loss, with damage estimated to be in excess of $30,000, Hagen said.

Hagen said Kaeb recently had a "work-related" dispute with his brother, Eric Kaeb. Leon Kaeb had worked for his brother at the farm "up until this past Monday," Hagen said.

"I think it just got to the point that this was the result of the dispute they were having," Hagen said.

Leon Kaeb remained in custody Monday at the county jail in Watseka. Bond was set at $50,000, meaning he must post $5,000 to be released.

Due to the extent of the damage, investigators were unable to determine how the fires started, state fire marshal's office spokeswoman Milly Santiago said.

The two barns, each containing bales of hay, were found burning simultaneously and were fully engulfed when firefighters arrived, Loda Fire Chief Harold Ecker said Thursday. The barns were about a quarter of a mile from each other on the farm at 781 E. County Road 300 North.

Eric Kaeb was not home when the fires started, Ecker said, but had arrived sometime between when the first call was made to dispatchers and when the first firefighters arrived.