VERO BEACH — An 18-year-old was arrested after he admitted to deputies he started a small fire in a high school boys bathroom, causing students to briefly evacuate, authorities said. A disposable lighter the teen used was found in a trash can, an arrest report shows.

Lavonte Irvin
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Deputies on Tuesday arrested Lavonte Irvin, of the 600 block of 10th Street, and charged him with first-degree arson of an occupied structure. Irvin is being held at the Indian River County Jail without bond.

The incident was the first of two blazes involving a boys bathroom that occurred at schools within the School District this week.

“We can’t speculate if there is a connection between the two fires,” School District spokeswoman Cristen McMillan said.

School officials could not confirm or deny if Irvin was a student at the school.

Indian River County Fire Rescue, Vero Beach police and Sheriffs’ deputies responded to the first blaze Monday morning at Vero Beach High School, 1707 16th Street. The fire ignited inside a handicapped stall in the downstairs boys bathroom in building 2, according to McMillan and an arrest report.

The high school had about 2,800 students and staff members at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported.

The flames were contained to the bathroom and were out before fire crews arrived, Fire Rescue spokesman Cory Richter said. Students inside the building were evacuated and then relocated to other classrooms after fire crews cleared the scene.

Deputies reviewed surveillance footage and interviewed several witnesses. Deputies detained Irvin at the school on Tuesday and took him to the Sheriff’s Office.

Irvin admitted to deputies he was in the bathroom when he held the lighter under the soap dispenser, causing it to catch fire, an arrest report shows. Irvin told deputies he threw the lighter in the trash can and left the bathroom without telling anyone about the ignited flames.

Irvin did not give a reason why he caused the fire. But, deputies said Irvin “appeared remorseful” for igniting the blaze.

That was not the only small fire to happen this week at a school campus.

Fire crews responded to another small blaze in a boys bathroom about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Storm Grove Middle School, 6400 57th Street. A teacher immediately extinguished the flames and students and staff safely evacuated the school, said McMillan and Sheriff’s Sgt. Fletcher McClellan.

Emergency officials gave an “all clear” soon after and students dismissed at their normal time.

Details on damages to the bathrooms for both incidents were not available. The incidents remain under investigation by the state fire marshal.

Photos by Cory Richter and Washington Rada