17-year-old Port Penn firefighter charged with arson of Fort DuPont historic buildings

A 17-year-old firefighter at the Port Penn Volunteer Fire Company has been charged with intentionally starting a fire on Monday on the Fort DuPont Nature Trail. 

Two historic buildings on the Port Penn trail, the Cleaver Muskrat Shack and the Floating Cabin, were set on fire just before midnight, the State Fire Marshal's Office said. 

Port Penn firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze. The shack was destroyed by a full, billowing fire, and the cabin was also damaged, Port Penn Fire Chief Frank Schoeffler said. 

Investigators began to realize the fire was intentionally set, and the 17-year-old suspect was arrested.

The teen suspect has since been removed from the fire company, Schoeffler said. 

"The Port Penn Volunteer Fire Company is deeply shocked and embarrassed to report that one of our members was involved with this criminal act," Schoeffler said in a statement.

Fire damage to the buildings is estimated at $20,000, but the historical loss has not been determined, the State Fire Marshal's Office said. The shack and cabin dated back to the 1850s and were the last known preserved structures of their kind. 

The teen firefighter was charged with second-degree arson, attempted second-degree arson and criminal mischief. He was released to his parents. 

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Contact Josephine Peterson at (302) 324-2856 or jhpeterson@delawareonline.com. Follow her @jopeterson93.