A 16‑year‑old is facing serious charges after police say he intentionally sparked a fire in a boys bathroom at Red Hook High School, triggering thick black smoke, a full evacuation and an early dismissal. Officers reported smoke so heavy on the first floor that they could not get into the bathroom until firefighters knocked the blaze down. The teen was arrested Saturday on felony arson and reckless endangerment charges, arraigned and then released to a parent.
According to News 12, the trouble started Friday morning when a student alerted a school resource officer about a possible fire in a first‑floor bathroom. Officers who went to check the room found smoke, which set off the alarm and led to a schoolwide evacuation. Police then called 911 and the Red Hook Fire Department, which, along with mutual‑aid departments, put out the flames.
Per the Red Hook Central School District, the high school will stay closed Monday so cleanup crews can tackle smoke‑affected areas, and families will be updated on when classes will resume and what that means for planned senior events. Local coverage by Daily Voice reported that the alarm sounded at about 10:22 a.m., firefighters had the fire under control by 10:45 a.m., and students were temporarily relocated to Linden Avenue Middle School before being dismissed for the day.
Investigation and charges
Investigators with the Dutchess County fire investigation team concluded the blaze was the result of human intervention, which prompted Red Hook police to open a criminal investigation. A 16‑year‑old was arrested Saturday and charged with felony arson and reckless endangerment, and authorities say he was arraigned and released into a parent’s custody, according to News 12.
Legal context
New York’s arson laws are broken into several degrees and can be brought as felony charges when people or property are put at risk, according to summaries of state law by FindLaw. Reckless endangerment can also rise to a felony when a case shows what courts describe as a “depraved indifference” to human life, per New York court guidance (NY Courts). Because the suspect is a minor, prosecutors will determine whether the case moves forward in family court or criminal court as the investigation continues.
School response and next steps
The district says it has hired a cleaning company to sanitize affected surfaces and will let families know when students can return to the building and how they can pick up essential belongings. School officials have emphasized that the building is being checked for smoke damage and that the cause remains under investigation, Daily Voice reported.
