Three 14-year-old Milton youths are facing arson and break and enter charges after a suspicious fire broke out at an abandoned building in the town on Saturday evening.
Police and fire crews were called to the building at 700 Main Street East at around 5:30 p.m. on November 8, 2026, after reports of smoke and flames, according to Halton Regional Police.
The building's proximity to the blaze prompted the evacuation of residents from a nearby condominium while crews worked to bring the fire under control.
Fire services were eventually able to contain and extinguish the flames, and the fire's origin was considered suspicious, Halton Regional Police said in a news release.
Investigation led to quick arrests
Members of the 1 District Criminal Investigations Bureau took carriage of the investigation and were able to identify three suspects in connection with the fire.
As a result of the investigation, the three 14-year-olds, all from the Milton area, have each been charged with one count of break and enter and one count of arson.
Their identities cannot be released. Halton police noted that a general provision of the Youth Criminal Justice Act prohibits the publication of the name of a young person, protecting the identities of those charged.
Police appealing for information
Investigators are asking anyone with information about the fire to come forward. Halton Regional Police can be reached at 905-825-4777, extension 2416, for the 1 District Criminal Investigations Bureau.
The charges come less than a day after the blaze, which drew a response from both police and fire services to the Main Street East property.
Halton Regional Police Service is headquartered in Oakville and polices municipalities across the region, including Milton.
Media inquiries can be directed to the service's media relations line at 905-825-4899.
