Update Feb. 26, 2020 at 3:21 p.m.
Four juveniles between the ages of 15 and 17 were arrested and charged with arson in connection with the train station blaze that injured a Delray Beach firefighter.
Police said a 911 caller who reported the blaze saw four teenage boys running from the scene, and surveillance cameras also captured the four minors running nearby, according to The Palm Beach Post.
The Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office is handling the case and can decide whether to try the teens as juveniles or adults.
Original Story
Julius Whigham II
The Palm Beach Post, Fla.
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A Delray Beach firefighter was taken to a hospital Tuesday morning after being injured battling a fire that destroyed a defunct train station.
The firefighters’ injuries were not considered to be life-threatening, Delray Beach Fire Rescue spokeswoman Dani Moschella said. He sustained burns to his neck and ears and has been released.
The firefighter, whom the agency did not identify, was knocked down by the force of the blaze shortly after crews arrived, Moschella said.
Fire Rescue crews responded at about 10:15 a.m. to the old train station on Depot Avenue, west of Interstate 95 and north of Atlantic Avenue, and reported seeing smoke and flames.
https://twitter.com/DelrayBeachFire/status/1232377465147920384
The crews began defensive operations and an aerial attack using ladder trucks. About 30 Delray Beach and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue responded to the scene.
https://twitter.com/DelrayBeachFire/status/1232332174503882752
It does not appear that anyone was inside the building when the blaze started, Moschella said.
The railroad tracks near the station were shut down for a couple of hours in both directions, disrupting Tri-Rail service, but the commuter rail-line resumed normal operations by the afternoon.
The state Fire Marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire.
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©2020 The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
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