OttawaOPP say a 13- and a 14-year-old have been jointly charged following a fire that reduced the 19th-centruy structure to a scorched heap of rubble.Suspects, 13 and 14, also charged with breaking and entering, mischiefDan Taekema · CBC News · Posted: Sep 12, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoA fire on Monday destroyed a historic waterfront building in Deseronto, Ont. Two teens have been charged with arson. (Supplied by Bryan Brooks)Provincial police have charged two teenagers following a fire in Deseronto, Ont., that reduced a historic waterfront building to a scorched heap of rubble.Emergency crews were called to the former Canada Optical plant on Main Street around 6 p.m. Monday and arrived to find the site engulfed in flames, according to Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).”Anytime you lose a heritage building, it’s tough … but to lose it in this way … lends a lot more pain to the community,” said Deseronto town manager Bryan Brooks. “Many people had family members that worked there, or they remember using it.”A media release from the town said it appears the fire started in the western portion of the property before spreading throughout the rest of the building.The building, which officials said has also housed a flea market and storage facility, was deemed a total loss.Brooks said due to the “stubborn nature of the fire,” the building had to be knocked down.”It’s unfortunately just a pile of rubble that’s partitioned off by caution tape,” he said.Before it burned down this week, the historic building at 240 Main St. served a variety of functions including a flea market. (Google Street View)OPP Const. Martyn Curran said a 13- and a 14-year-old, both from Hastings County, have been jointly charged with arson, breaking and entering, and mischief. The teens can’t be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.The teens have been released from custody and are set to appear in Napanee’s youth court at a later date.Curran said police are aware of “ongoing issues with youth in the community” and had met with town staff to discuss those concerns. OPP responded by increasing their presence whenever those issues were reported, he said.In its media release, the town thanked police, local firefighters and crews from the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte Fire Department for their help.Brooks described the property as “one of the remaining historical buildings” in the town and a landmark along the waterfront, and said there were plans in the works for the building.”It was going to be an integral part of tying in the community to our downtown core,” he explained. “There was always kind of that hope of what it would turn into, and … now unfortunately that’s somewhat lost.”ABOUT THE AUTHORDan Taekema is CBC’s reporter covering Kingston, Ont. and the surrounding area. He’s worked in newsrooms in Chatham, Windsor, Hamilton, Toronto and Ottawa. You can reach him by emailing daniel.taekema@cbc.ca.Follow @DanTaekema on Twitter
2 teens charged with arson after historic building burns in Deseronto
