Teenager charged in Aberdeen High School fire

Fire causes $10,000 in cleanup, damages

 ABERDEEN, Md. —Authorities have charged a 16-year-old student at Aberdeen High School with arson after a fire in a bathroom that sparked $10,000 in damages.

Twenty-five firefighters from three companies were called shortly after 1 p.m. to the school, where a paper towel dispenser was ignited, according to the State Fire Marshal's Office.

The fire prompted the evacuation of about 1,400 students at the school. No one was injured, and students were dismissed at the regularly scheduled dismissal time.

Investigators said the teenager admitted to setting the fire, which activated the fire sprinklers, containing the fire to the bathroom. Significant water damage occurred in nearby classrooms and computer labs, causing $10,000 in cleanup and damages.

Authorities charged the teenager with first- and second-degree arson, first- and second-degree malicious burning, malicious destruction of property, reckless endangerment and disrupting school operations.