RED HOOK – A 16-year-old boy is facing felony charges following a fire at Red Hook High School on Friday morning. The teen is accused of starting the fire in a bathroom that resulted in the evacuation of the building and a multi-agency response from first responders.
On Friday at approximately 10:15 a.m., a student at the school notified the School Resource Officer (SRO) about a possible fire in the boys’ bathroom on the first floor. The Red Hook Police SRO rushed toward the bathroom and saw smoke entering the hallway just as the fire alarm activated, initiating the evacuation.
Two additional Red Hook officers responded to assist the SRO in entering the bathroom to put out the fire. The cops encountered heavy smoke conditions that blocked their entry and they notified 911 of the worsening conditions in the building.
Red Hook Fire Department members arrived and extinguished the blaze before it spread to other areas. The Tivoli, Milan, Rhinebeck, and Germantown fire departments also responded to the school to assist with fire operations.
The Dutchess County Fire Investigation Division began an investigation into the cause of the fire and determined it was human-caused.
The Red Hook Police Department immediately launched a criminal investigation and arrested the teen on Saturday. The boy was charged with the felonies of arson and reckless endangerment, arraigned in Red Hook Justice Court, and released to a parent’s custody with a future court date.
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