A 14-year-old boy was arrested and charged with arson Wednesday after an early morning fire at his family’s Darien home Dec. 22, according to police.

The Tri-State Fire Protection District responded at 2:21 a.m. to a call of a house fire on the 100 block of Iris Road. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire, but eight occupants of the home were evacuated and two of them were brought to the hospital for minor burns and smoke inhalation. They were treated and released.

The structure still stands, but the fire caused severe damage to the interior of the home, Darien Deputy Chief David Skala said.

“It was a pretty extensive fire inside the home, but it didn’t spread to any neighboring houses,” he said.

After an investigation by Darien Police—with assistance from Tri-State, the Felony Investigative Assistance Team and the DuPage County Sheriff’s office—it was determined that the juvenile had intentionally set the fire.

He is being charged with one count of aggravated arson, a class X felony, and one count of residential arson, a class 1 felony. The juvenile is being held at the DuPage County Youth Home while awaiting a detention hearing. Darien Police are not releasing information on whether or not the juvenile has a criminal history.

The motive is still under investigation and Darien Police are not releasing any additional information to protect the privacy of the family, Skala said.

By Jim Jaworski
Triblocal.com reporter