Clay Co. woman to serve nearly 4 years for arsons

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — A Clay County woman convicted of trying to burn down her own farmhouse will serve nearly four years in prison.

Tara Andvik also will be on probation for up to 20 years.

Andvik was convicted last month on three counts of first-degree arson. She had blamed six fires at her rural Barnesville property last fall on a former co-worker with whom she had an affair.

But The Forum newspaper reports for the first time, Andvik took responsibility for the fires in court Thursday.

She said she had been abusing prescription drugs at the time of the fires and “didn’t intend for things to go this far.”

Andvik also was ordered to pay her insurance company nearly $14,000 in restitution.