A 16-year-old student was arrested for allegedly starting Thursday's fire at Stuyvesant High school — one of nine blazes at the school in the past week.
The student, whose name was not released because of his age, was arrested and charged with arson. The student was only charged for Thursday’s fire, but his involvement in the eight others is being investigated, the New York Times reported.
“All the fires are very similar,” James Long, a fire department spokesman, told the Times.
The first in the string of fires began last Friday morning in a third-floor bathroom at the elite public school. Firefighters quickly go the blaze under control within minutes of arriving.
The next few fires occurred earlier this week and were also set in bathrooms, this time on the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth floors at the 12-story school. These fires were reportedly small enough for the school to handle themselves and they did not call the authorities.
On Thursday, three additional fires were set. Firefighters and school officials quickly zeroed in on the suspect, using surveillance cameras and eyewitness interviews, according to the Times. He was charged with reckless endangerment and both second-degree and fifth-degree attempted arson.
More than 3,200 students attend the Battery Park City school, which is considered the best public high school in Manhattan.
“The investigation into the other fires is ongoing,” Long told the Times.
