Crime & Safety
Student Charged in Aberdeen High School Fire
The bathroom fire caused thousands of dollars in damage.
A 16-year-old student was charged with arson and several other offenses Tuesday in connection with a fire at Aberdeen High School, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
There were no injuries as a result of the fire, which started at 1:04 p.m. at the school located at 251 Paradise Road, the fire marshal reported.
A student confessed he lit a paper towel dispenser on fire in the first-floor boys bathroom at Aberdeen High School, the fire marshal said.
The fire alarm and sprinklers went off, and the school of 1,400 students was evacuated, the report stated.
Twenty-five firefighters from Aberdeen, Aberdeen Proving Ground and the Susquehanna Hose Company responded to the fire and controlled the blaze within five minutes, according to the report.
Because sprinklers went off, the fire was contained to the bathroom, the report stated. However, the water caused significant damage elsewhere, resulting in approximately $10,000 in clean-up and damage to computer labs and classrooms near the bathroom, according to the fire marshal.
The fire marshal said school let out at the normal time. Aberdeen High School is normally dismissed at 2 p.m., according to Harford County Public Schools.
Aberdeen High School administrators and the school resource officer from Aberdeen Police Department assisted in the investigation, which resulted in the student's arrest.
The student was charged with first and second-degree arson, reckless endangerment, first and second-degree malicious burning, malicious destruction of property over $500, reckless endangerment and disruption of school activities.
According to the fire marshal, the student was turned over to the custody of his father, pending further actions by the Department of Juvenile Services.
A spokesperson for the school system was not immediately available for comment as to whether Aberdeen High School would continue on a regular schedule Wednesday. The school system's emergency notification page said all schools were operating on a normal schedule.
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