Three Lewiston Teens Charged with Arson at Former Lumber Company

Three teens have been arrested and charged with arson in connection with a fire Tuesday night that gutted a building in downtown Lewiston, Maine.

The Lewiston Fire Department responded to the blaze at the former Pineland Lumber Company on Avon Street just before 6:30 p.m.  Auburn firefighters provided assistance in extinguishing the fire at the site along the Androscoggin River, not far from Central Maine Medical Center.

Officials say the fire caused heavy damage to one of the abandoned buildings. A second smaller fire was discovered in an adjacent building and was quickly put out.

A team of investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Lewiston Police Department investigated the incident overnight and throughout the day on Wednesday.

Three teens arrested for setting fire in Lewiston

The investigation revealed that three male juveniles, ages 13, 14 and 15 are thought to be responsible for setting the fires, according to a news release from the Maine Department of Public Safety. The three teens, who are all from Lewiston, were charged with arson and released into the custody of their parents.

No investigative details will be released at this time, officials say.

The old Pineland Lumber yard in Lewiston has been abandoned for years and there are plans in the works to build a multi-unit apartment complex on the site.