RED HOOK, NY — A 16-year-old has been charged with setting a fire in a bathroom at Red Hook High School.
A school resource officer was notified by a student about a possible fire in the boys bathroom on the first floor at approximately 10:15 a.m. Friday.
The officer responded and observed smoke coming from the bathroom.
The fire alarm activated, and all staff and faculty began evacuating the school.
Two additional Red Hook police officers responded and attempted to access the bathroom to locate and extinguish the fire.
Heavy black smoke prevented them from entering the bathroom.
Red Hook fire department members arrived within minutes and located the fire in the bathroom, with no extension to surrounding areas.
The fire was officially extinguished by 10:45 a.m.
The Tivoli, Milan, Rhinebeck, and Germantown fire departments also responded to assist with fire operations.
The Dutchess County fire investigation team began an investigation into the cause of the fire and deemed it was human intervention.
The Red Hook Police Department immediately launched a criminal investigation.
The investigation resulted in the arrest of a 16-year-old male juvenile from Red Hook at 2:45 p.m. Saturday.
The juvenile was charged with arson in the third degree and reckless endangerment in the first degree, both felonies.
He was arraigned in the town of Red Hook court and released to a parent’s custody with a future court date.
Red Hook Police were assisted in the investigation by NYSP Troop K Major Crimes.
