This from MyFoxChicago.com:
A teenage boy has been charged with starting an extra-alarm fire that consumed most of a vacant warehouse earlier this week in Cicero.
The high school-aged teenager was charged with two counts of arson after he and a group of teens allegedly went to the warehouse at 1829 54th Ave. on Tuesday and then started a fire, possibly to keep warm, according to town spokesman Ray Hanania.
The accused teenager, whose age was not specified, played with the fire, causing it to spread, police said. The teens then fled.
Crews first responded to the fire about 6:15 p.m., according to dispatch reports. The flames spread to a building to the south at 1843 54th Ave. that houses Central Steel Fabricators, Hanania said.
As firefighters were putting out the 5-11 warehouse fire early Wednesday morning, another blaze was reported at a home at 1410 S. 50th Ct. about 3:30 a.m., which quickly spread to the home next door at 1412 S. 50th St., Hanania said.
Investigators determined that the second fire was started by a space heater and was ruled an accident.
Numerous area fire departments assisted in fighting the warehouse fire, which raged for more than 12 hours before it was struck out Wednesday morning.
The boy was arrested on Friday night after information was given to Cicero fire investigators and police, Hanania said.
None of the other juveniles will be charged in connection to the fire, police said.
From NBC5:
Charges have been filed against a teenager accused of starting a five-alarm fire that destroyed a vacant warehouse and a neighboring business in west suburban Cicero earlier this week, officials said.
The juvenile suspect was arrested Friday night after information was provided to the Cicero Fire Department investigators, who took the information to police, according to authorities.
The suspect was apparently with a group of possibly two other high school-aged teenagers who went to the warehouse and then started a fire, possibly to keep warm. The suspect began playing with the fire and in so doing, caused the fire to spread, at which time they teenagers fled.
“We’re very pleased that this fire has been resolved and a suspect has been identified,” said Fire Chief Ron Opalecky.
Crews were called to the warehouse, at 1829 54th Avenue, just after 6 p.m. Tuesday. The building was completely engulfed in flames that could be seen from miles around by the time firefighters arrived. The warehouse fire raged for more than 12 hours through Wednesday morning and required assistance not only from the Cicero Fire Department but also from about a dozen other fire departments.
At one point, the fire jumped and ignited the Central Steel Fabricators building next door. That building is full of cardboard and aerosol spray cans, causing officials to worry about explosions. Both properties, the vacant warehouse and the Central Steel Fabricators, were completely destroyed by the fire, but no injuries were reported.
No other charges will be filed in the warehouse fire, Police Supt. Bernard Harrison said.
[The] Cicero town president praised the firefighters for their work in containing the fires, and fire and police officials for their hard work in identifying the cause of both fires and arresting a suspect. “These are terrible tragedies and many lives have been disrupted,” Larry Dominick said. “I’m proud of the hard work that our employees and Fire and Police officials put into protecting our community and responding to emergencies.”
thanks Dan
