Two Youths Charged With Starting Apartment Fire

Two youths are facing arson charges after allegedly starting a fire Wednesday that damaged three apartment buildings in Baltimore County.

Nobody was injured in the three-alarm blaze, which displaced residents in the three buildings and caused about $500,000 in damage, according to the Baltimore County Police Department. A total of 28 apartments sustained water damage.

The police said they identified two boys, a 12-year-old and an 11-year-old, as the suspects responsible for starting the fire. Both have been charged as juveniles, and their names were not released. The incident remains under investigation by the Baltimore County Police Arson Unit.

Just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, Baltimore County firefighters and police responded to the report of a fire at the Millbrook Park Apartments in the 6900 block of Millbrook Park Drive. When Engine 2 (Pikesville Station) arrived on the scene, the firefighters spotted a large pile of trash on fire in the rear of an apartment building, and the fire was spreading into the building, according to a police statement.

Detectives with the arson unit later determined that the fire had been deliberately set, the police said.

The fire quickly spread, and about 30 pieces of equipment from the Baltimore County Fire Department were assigned to the fire, which was brought under control at 6:25 p.m.