Boys Burn Down School

Old School In Concrete (pre-fire), Courtesy of Flickr User Kristin Monahan

Even the most studious among us probably fantasized about our schools burning to the ground during our younger years. Seattlest most certainly did! But three boys in Concrete, Wash., ages 11 and 12 actually did it, albeit unintentionally.

The boys had been playing with lighters and caught an old mattress on fire near the historic Concrete school building. The building was built in the 1930s, but has sat vacant since the 1980s. According to deputies who interviewed the boys this week, the unintentional arsonists believed they had put out the mattress fire and left the schoolyard. In fact, the mattress was still smoldering and would re-light, quickly spreading to the school building. The building was completely destroyed by fire, as the roof and floors of the three-story building collapsed. The Skagit County Sheriff's office has referred the case to county prosecutors, who will decide if the boys will face criminal charges.