PLAINVILLE - Footprints in fresh snow helped police nab four suspects in the fire that destroyed an abandoned old farm house Friday night.

Two teenagers have been arrested and two others will be charged in connection with the blaze in the house on Wolf Farm off Witherell Place, police said Saturday. Three of the teens are 17-year-olds from North Attleboro, and the other is a 16-year-old juvenile from Wrentham.

Michael Brundige and Alexander Malone were arrested and charged with arson, breaking and entering and malicious damage to personal property, police said. Devon Drignault and the juvenile, whose name isn't being released by police, will also be charged in connection with the fire but actual charges have not yet been determined, police said.

The four will be arraigned in Wrentham District Court on Monday.

The fire engulfed the house around 10 p.m. Friday on the century-old family farm, which has been used, according to Fire Chief Theodore Joubert, as a teenager's hangout. The home is in a remote, wooded section. "It looks like last night, something got a little out of hand," Joubert said Saturday. "The police did an outstanding job of tracking these kids. It's pretty significant the way they went about it and got it done."

It amounted to some old-fashioned police work.

"These arrests come as the result of excellent police work by officers at the scene of the fire as well as the detective who was called in to follow up the investigation," Police Chief Edward Merrick said. "We had this case resolved even as the building was still smoldering, and that is a credit to the efforts of many both in Plainville and the Mass State Police K-9 units who assisted us in this investigation."

The chief lauded the efforts of Patrolman Greg Kiff, who was one of the first officers on the scene. "By the time I arrived on scene, Officer Kiff had identified footprints in fresh snow that led to the resolution of the case," Merrick said.

The police chief also commended Detective James Floyd, who worked through the night following leads that were developed by Kiff and the State Police canine units.

The house was a total loss, Joubert said. The owners, who reside in New Jersey, have relatives in the area who are helping to coordinate insurance information. Joubert said a dollar estimate of the damage wouldn't be available until all that was settled.

The former cow farm is near South Street and is part of a large piece of land owned since 1905 by the Wolf family.

A history of vandalism forced the family to board up the house, after its last owner/occupant left around 10 years ago.