Charges recommended against Enderby youth for fire at high school

ENDERBY – Police are recommending charges of arson and mischief against an Enderby youth who allegedly set a fire in the girl’s washroom of the local high school.

The April 8 fire forced the evacuation of roughly 250 staff and students at A.L. Fortune Secondary. Everyone got out safely, but school was cancelled for a day and a half while restoration crews dealt with the damage.

According to the RCMP, a female youth was identified during the investigation and charges of arson and mischief over $5,000 have been recommended to Crown counsel.

The fire resulted in $200,000 in damages, police say.

While most of the damage was contained to the bathroom and an adjacent classroom wall, the restoration work was elevated when asbestos was discovered in the drywall.

While the charges have been recommended by police, they are not official until Crown counsel approves them.

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