Lansdale Student Who Set North Penn Fire Sentenced

Lansdale, PA -- The student who intentionally set the fire at North Penn High School that led to a massive evacuation and nearly a million dollars in damages has been sentenced.

The student, who at 17 is a juvenile and thus will not be identified by authorities, will spend the next year in a treatment facility, according to court documents.

"This was a very serious fire. Multiple fire companies and police departments responded, and it took some time to put out," DA Kevin Steele said in a statement after the incident. "The fire caused extensive structural and smoke damage that will affect the school in a significant financial way."

The two-alarm incident occurred on the morning of May 24.

Altogether, around 3,000 students and staff were evacuated, and school was dismissed for the rest of the day. The suspect was identified and caught after a rapid investigation by Towamencin Township Police, fire investigators from the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal Unit, and the DA's office.

Officials worked closely with North Penn School District Security and staff to find the student they believed to be responsible, Towamencin police said.

>>North Penn Fire Intentionally Set By Student: DA

The student had been charged with several counts of arson, institutional vandalism, criminal mischief, risking catastrophe, reckless endangerment, and possession of an instrument of crime, authorities stated.

According to a previous story in The Reporter, the student's lawyer said he was "very remorseful," and offered a glimpse into the boy's mental process leading up to the incident, saying that he did not intend to hurt anyone and that he'd been having a hard time since his father was put in jail.