CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A student at Chillicothe High School was arrested after allegedly starting a fire in the girls’ restroom, leading to the evacuation of approximately 1,000 students and staff members on August 23, according to a police report. The incident, which unfolded around 11:18 a.m., began when a staff member reportedly pulled the fire alarm after detecting smoke and a burning smell coming from the restroom near the school’s art room.
The smoke was reportedly traced to a fire inside a wall-mounted toilet paper dispenser, which a custodian was able to extinguish before it spread, the police report states. The Chillicothe Fire Department (CFD) responded to the scene, using fans to ventilate the building and clear the smoke.
Surveillance footage reviewed by Chillicothe City School District (CCSD) staff allegedly showed a student entering the restroom at 11:13 a.m. and exiting two minutes later, according to the report. Another student entered at 11:17 a.m. and quickly left to alert a custodian after noticing the smoke.
The student identified in the footage was reportedly brought to an office, where a search of her belongings allegedly revealed a multi-colored BIC lighter and other contraband inside a small black purse, the report says. When questioned by officers, the student allegedly admitted to flicking the lighter to relieve anxiety, stating she did not intend for the paper to catch fire.
The student was subsequently arrested on charges of arson and inducing panic and was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC), where she remains in custody pending a court date. The incident remains under investigation.
