3 Juveniles Charged in Fire at Historic Havre de Grace Home

Three juveniles were charged in connection with a fire that damaged an historic Havre de Grace home over the weekend, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The fire began at 12:41 a.m. Saturday in the 100 block of South Union Avenue, and the couple living in the home was able to escape, the fire marshal reported.

Investigators traced the fire to a chair on the front porch and identified three juveniles who had been putting sparklers on people’s porches on South Union Avenue, knocking on doors and running away, the report said.

One of them, a 15-year-old, confessed that he threw a sparkler onto a porch cushion, knocked on the door and left the home, according to the report.

The cushion eventually ignited and flames spread throughout the house, drawing the notice of a Havre de Grace police officer and passerby, the report said.

As smoke filled the 127-year-old home known for its ornate stained glass and hand-painted windows, the man who lived there was able to get out but could not return due to heavy smoke, the fire marshal reported.

He and the police officer yelled for his wife to escape, which she did, the report said.

By 12:45 a.m. when the firefighters arrived, fire was visible and both the husband and wife were out of the home, according to the Susquehanna Hose Company.

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The fire was on the first floor and had extended to the second and third floors, the hose company reported.

The teen who admitted to throwing the sparkler is charged with first and second-degree arson, first-degree malicious burning and two counts of reckless endangerment, according to the fire marshal.

The 14 and 15-year-old boys who accompanied him were charged as accessories to those charges, the fire marshal said. All were released to the custody of their parents after consultation with the Department of Juvenile Services.

The Susquehanna Hose Company reported that its crews worked until 2:45 a.m. to ensure the fire was out.

Photo Credit: Susquehanna Hose Company.