Plea deal reached in North Liberty child endangerment case that led to a fire

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Lang
6/29/25

A plea deal has been reached in the case of a North Liberty woman accused of leaving her children home alone, leading to a fire.

30-year-old Brittany Airhart entered a guilty plea on Friday. She’s accused of leaving her children alone at her Rachel Street apartment last November, claiming she thought a babysitter had picked the children up after she left. At about 4:30 on the morning of November 11th, one of the children started the fireplace, igniting some nearby clothing. The blaze was extinguished by fire suppression systems.

Firefighters searched the smoke-filled apartment and found a three-year-old and a five-year-old hiding in their bedrooms. They were taken to University of Iowa Health Care once paramedics had cleared them of injuries.

Airhart was charged with Neglect or Abandonment of a Dependent Person. If convicted, she would have faced a maximum of ten years in prison. Online records now show two Child Endangerment charges against Airhart, which each carry a maximum sentence of two years in jail.

Sentencing is set for August 14th.