Tuesday, Jul. 07, 2009

Two juveniles in custody after Alton High School fire

GODFREY -- Two summer school students were taken into custody Tuesday after firefighters found that firecrackers in an Alton High School laundry room area set off the school's sprinkler system, causing an evacuation and water damage.

Two juvenile boys were taken into custody for felony criminal damage to government supported property and misdemeanor disorderly conduct, Madison County Sheriff's Department Capt. Marc McLemore stated in a news release.

Police won't release the juveniles' names unless they are charged as adults.

Both boys were first taken to the Madison County Jail and then to the Madison County Juvenile Detention Facility.

Sheriff's deputies and the Godfrey Fire Department responded at about 10:12 a.m. to a general fire alarm from the high school at 4200 Humbert Road in Godfrey.

The alarm indicated that there was a problem in the athletic portion of building C, near the laundry room. Firefighters found smoke in the hallways and that the fire in the laundry room had been extinguished by the sprinklers.

There were about 30 boys using the locker room at the time.

"Godfrey Fire Department personnel identified the cause of the fire as two firecrackers being thrown on a pile of towels," McLemore stated. "There was minimal damage caused by the fire, however there was a significant amount of damage caused by the large amount of water dispensed by the sprinkler system."

None of the staff members and about 420 students in the building were injured in the incident.