Juvenile charged with arson after fire at high school in Columbia, SC police say
A girl was charged with arson weeks after a suspicious fire at a high school in Columbia led to an evacuation, the Forest Acres Police Department said Monday.
The fire happened March 16 at A.C. Flora High School, police said in a news release. The Richland 1 school is near the intersection of Forest Drive and North Beltline Boulevard.
No one was injured, police said.
The fire was started in a girls’ bathroom near the school’s main office, according to the release.
The fire and smoke were contained to the bathroom as the blaze was put out with a fire extinguisher, but the Columbia Fire Department responded to the school and assisted, police said.
Investigators found a paper towel dispenser had been set on fire inside a girls restroom, according to police.
The bathroom was damaged, police said. The school was evacuated for the safety of students, faculty and staff, according to the release.
The juvenile’s name is not being made public because of her age. There was no word if she is a student at A.C. Flora High School.
Both the girl, who was charged with third-degree arson, and her family cooperated with police and she turned herself in to authorities Saturday, according to the release.
Information about a motive for the arson was not available, but police said the fire was an isolated incident.
“We are relieved no one was hurt in what could have been a potentially dangerous situation,” Police Chief Don Robinson said in the release. “Let me say this loud and clear — criminal damage to property at our local schools will never be tolerated in Forest Acres.”
After being charged, the juvenile was released to the custody of her parents, and she will have to appear in Richland County Family Court for criminal prosecution, police said.
“We are thankful for the joint effort from the Columbia Fire Department, the Richland County Fire Marshal, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and their (school resource officer), the Flora faculty and staff who acted quickly, and to our investigators for their thorough handling of the case,” Robinson said. “We are also thankful for the cooperation we received from the suspect’s family that concluded with a peaceful arrest.”
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This story was originally published April 3, 2023 at 12:14 PM.
