HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions and sentence for Chase Coble Friday. Coble is the Saline County man convicted of aggravated arson in Reno County. The fire was at the Plaza Towers building in downtown Hutchinson.

Coble was originally charged with three counts of arson and two counts of criminal use of explosives. Those charges were dismissed during the trial.

The fire happened when Coble was said to be experimenting with plastic and chemicals when it got out of hand. Police say he had the chemicals to make the black powder used in explosives. Coble claims he was trying to bond metals and plastic when chemicals spilled and caused a fire.

This occurred in his 12th-story apartment. The fire caused damage to his apartment, set off the sprinkler system and caused damage in other apartments.

He was attending Hutchinson Community College at the time of the explosion and fire.