Police on Long Island say an 11-year-old boy used a cigarette lighter to start a fire that destroyed a house and displaced 12 people.
Nassau County arson detectives say the boy used the lighter to ignite plastic packing material in a garage in Hicksville on Saturday.
Police say that after the boy fled, the packing material set the garage on fire. The fire spread to the main house, causing extensive damage. Five fire departments from surrounding communities battled the blaze.
There were no serious injuries but 12 people were left homeless.
The boy was arrested on an arson charge and released to his mother. He will appear in family court on June 17. His name was not released.
Police said the home was not the boy's own.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
