Up in smoke

A large plume of thick black smoke rose high in the sky from the Middlesex High School vicinity. Within five days, three teenagers were charged with torching pallets holding plastic playground equipment waiting to be installed at nearby Mountain View Park.

More than a half-million dollars worth of items went up in smoke at about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 3 in MVP’s Department of Public Works lot. Roughly a week later, it was impossible to make sense of the incident, other than to see it as one of the thoughtless things children sometimes do.

According to police, two 14-year-old females and a 13-year-old male were charged in the incident. The charges include aggravated arson, criminal mischief, burglary, hindering and conspiracy.

After numerous reports of the blaze came in, the Middlesex Borough Fire Department arrived on the scene and brought it under control in less than 15 minutes. The Middlesex County Fire Marshal’s Office also responded to the scene to investigate.

Mayor Jack Mikolajcyk credited the Middlesex Police Department for solving the crime quickly. That included, according to the mayor, the help of the force’s School Resource Officer.

Borough officials expect that the $520,000 worth of destroyed equipment will be replaced through the Joint Insurance Fund (JIF) that includes Middlesex Borough. But exactly how that plays out has yet to be determined. The JIF is pool coverage secured in concert with nearby towns.

Taxpayers might be on the hook for a deductible. The mayor speculated that the JIF might also seek repayment through the homeowner’s insurance policies of the apprehended teens’ parents. 

“None of the insurance companies like to pay without putting someone else on the hook,” Mikolajczyk said.

The purchase of the destroyed equipment was funded through a grant that is also paying for other MVP upgrades such as new restrooms. The improvements were eyed for this spring/early summer. The playground equipment was ordered well in advance of its installation to head-off possible supply chain problems.

The delivered equipment was sitting on wood pallets, enclosed with packing material and cardboard. The items were “sitting on a ready-made camp fire,” the mayor said. He added, “All you needed was a match.”

As to the perpetrators’ motivation, the mayor called the fire “stupid” and said, “They were kids being kids.”

“It’s a shame,” Mikolajczyk said. “I feel sorry for the parents. I’m sure that’s not the legacy those kids want to leave. On the other hand, I hope they learn their lesson for lack of better words.”

The mayor praised the work of the Middlesex Police Department for quickly finding the parties responsible. “That’s why you need the cops that you have,” he said.

The perpetrators likely did not consider the repercussions the fire would have for others, Mikolajczyk said. It’s fortunate that the old MVP playground equipment was not yet removed, he added, meaning children can still use it while replacement of the burned items is sorted out.

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