2 charged with firecracker prank at school

ALTON -- Two southwestern Illinois summer school students are accused of setting off fireworks that sparked a fire in their high school's laundry room, forcing an evacuation.

Madison County prosecutors charged the two Alton High School teens with felony criminal property damage to government-supported property and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

The boys weren't identified publicly by name because they're charged as juveniles.

Investigators say the fireworks thrown Tuesday onto a pile of towels set off the school's sprinkler system, which extinguished the fire.

Investigators say the fire damage was minimal, although the water damage from the sprinklers was significant. No damage figures were released.

None of the school's staff or about 420 students in the building were injured.