PORT TREVORTON — A 16-year-old has been identified as the person who started a fire that burned down the former Wild J’s club. The teen, not being identified because of his juvenile stats, is the person state police say started the Snyder County fire that destroyed a building along Routes 11 & 15 in the Port Trevorton area.
Police say they took the boy into custody six hours after the blaze began Tuesday morning. Troopers say the building had been vacant for over 10 years, which raised suspicion of foul play because it was without electricity. Firefighters were able to put out the blaze within 45 minutes of their arrival; however, the majority of the building’s structure was destroyed. It is estimated that the fire caused $50,000 worth of damage.
The volunteer fire departments at the scene included Port Trevorton, Freeburg, Liverpool. Freemont, Middleburg, Selinsgrove, and Shamokin Dam. (Nick Rakauskas)