16-year-old boy arrested and accused of setting apartment fire in Clarksburg

A 16-year-old boy may be charged with arson in a Clarksburg home. Two residents and two firefighters were hospitalized and three pets died. The fire also forced 43 people to evacuate their homes, and their homes were damaged or destroyed by the fire.

Montgomery County Fire and Emergency Services Deputy Chief Daniel Ogren said Saturday that investigators quickly determined the fire was not an accident.

“After speaking with the suspect, they made the decision to charge him with numerous crimes,” Ogren said.

Few details have been released about the charges, and the boy's name is not being disclosed because he is a minor.

During his press conference on Tuesday, Montgomery County Executive Mark Elrich announced that the teenager had already been in trouble for “two previous, similar arson incidents” before being accused of setting the Clarksburg fire.

Elrich said Child Protective Services released the boy after the first two fires. He expressed anger that the boy was returned to his parents after being questioned and named as a suspect in the Clarksburg fire.

“If you just put them back in an environment where they couldn't get help, even when parents tried to help them, you're only making the situation worse,” Elrich said.

WTOP has contacted the Youth Welfare Office and asked for a comment.

On Wednesday, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said a judge made the decision to take the boy into custody after prosecutors “filed motions with the court.”

Ogren said he could not comment specifically on the case, but the agency supports the steps taken, which could include incarceration, to prevent a suspected arsonist from committing another crime in the future.

“Our main goal is to identify these people and integrate them into the system in some way or another so they can get the help they need and ultimately protect the citizens of Montgomery County,” Ogren said.

He said that ultimately, the department is thankful that no one was killed in this fire.

“Given the severity of the fire, it could easily have been much, much worse,” he said.

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