Teen Accused Of Starting Fire At Port Barrington Village Hall

By Sam Borcia, the Lake & McHenry County Scanner:

The sheriff’s office said a 13-year-old boy was arrested and is facing felony charges after he allegedly started a fire at the Port Barrington Village Hall on Tuesday.

The Wauconda Fire District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 3 p.m. Tuesday to the Village of Port Barrington Village Hall, 69 South Circle Avenue in Port Barrington, for a report of a structure fire.

Wauconda Fire District Division Chief Mike DaValle said firefighters arrived to find fire in the rear of the structure.

McHenry County Sheriff Sgt. Aimee Knop said the fire started in a port-a-potty that was alongside the village hall building.

The fire was extinguished within minutes thanks to a bystander who used a garden hose before firefighters arrived, DaValle said.

“These quick and heroic efforts are credited to minimizing the damage to the building,” Knop said.

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No one was injured during the fire and damage was estimated at $60,000, DaValle said. Witnesses told police that a juvenile started the fire.

Sheriff’s deputies identified the juvenile as a 13-year-old boy. Deputies arrested the boy a short time later, Knop said.

He has been charged with criminal damage to state-supported property and criminal damage to property, both felony charges, according to McHenry County Sheriff spokeswoman Emily Matusek.

Police believe the juvenile acted alone in the incident.

The fire was investigated by the Wauconda Fire Protection District and the McHenry County Sheriffs Office.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner is a local breaking news website covering issues that matter such as shootings, stabbings, house fires, kidnappings, car accidents, and more around Lake County and McHenry County.