Teen charged with setting fire in the bathroom of a Maryland middle school

A teen was charged with intentionally setting a fire in a middle school bathroom in Maryland, according to the State Fire Marshal's Office. 

Officials determined that the 14-year-old boy was responsible for setting the fire inside a trash can at Mattawoman Middle School in Waldorf. 

Deputy Fire Marshals were called to help the Charles County Sheriff's Office on Thursday after reports of a fire inside the school. 

Investigators quickly determined the cause of the fire and found that it originated inside a bathroom trash can, officials said. The fire was contained and did not cause any damage to the school.

The fire was extinguished by school staff, and no one was injured, according to officials. 

Officials with the school and the Charles County Sheriff's Office reviewed security footage and identified the teen as a suspect. He later admitted to setting the fire. 

The investigation also revealed that the teen had a water bottle full of lighter fluid, another containing gasoline, and a lighter, according to officials. 

The teen was charged with malicious burning and was later released to the custody of his mother. 

"Schools are meant to be safe places for learning, and fire has no place inside a school building," said Jason Mowbray, Acting Fire Marshal. "The quick actions of school staff made all the difference in preventing this from becoming a much more serious emergency and helped keep students and staff safe."

A similar crime led to charges for a 12- and 13-year-old in August 2025. The two minors were arrested after setting fire to a school playground in Baltimore's Brooklyn neighborhood. 

In 2019, the Fire Marshal charged two teens and an adult with arson after they set a fire on the campus of a high school in Bel Air. The fires were found in two bathrooms and caused nearly $1,000 in damage.