Teen Boys Playing With Lint Caused Coal Yard Road Brush Fire, Police Say

A fire that scorched an area of brush approximately 100 feet by 150 feet just off Coal Yard Road Thursday was caused by two teenage boys who carelessly disposed of a lit ball of lint, Lower Saucon Township Police said in a news release Tuesday.

According to police, the boys–ages 13 and 15–admitted to rolling a “large amount” of dryer lint into a ball and lighting it on fire, before throwing it into a plastic sandbox.

From there, “the wind helped the fire to spread out of control,” police said.

Authorities added that the boys attempted to stop the fire from spreading, but were unsuccessful, and the plastic sandbox was destroyed.

Both boys will be charged as juveniles with the summary offenses of criminal mischief and dangerous burning, police said.

The fire, which broke out shortly before 2 p.m., was brought under control by police, Se-Wy-Co Fire Company and Southeastern Fire Department volunteers.