13-year-old boy charged in Port Barrington Village Hall fire

A 13-year-old boy was charged in connection to a fire Tuesday at the Port Barrington Village Hall.

The Wauconda Fire District responded about 3 p.m. Tuesday to the village hall for a reported fire, McHenry County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Emily Matusek said. A bystander helped contain the blaze before firefighters arrived, helping to reduce damage to the building.

An investigation of the fire revealed it started in a port-a-potty next to the building, Matusek said. The fire caused about $20,000 in damages.

The teenager arrested in the incident received felony and misdemeanor charges for criminal damage to state supported property and criminal damage to property, Matusek said. He was the only one involved in setting the fire.

No injuries from the fire were reported.

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Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the age of the boy charged with setting a fire at the Port Barrington Village Hall. The boy was 13 years old. The Northwest Herald was provided incorrect information and regrets the error.