A 14-year-old Spotsylvania County boy has been charged with three counts of maliciously setting fire to personal property valued at $200 or more, Deputy Fire Chief Monty Willaford said.
 Each charge is a Class 4 felony.
 Two county fire marshals staked out Epperson’s Salvage Yard in Thornburg last Friday after two previous car fires that week, he said. 

Willaford said a couple of employees of an auto parts shop approached a boy setting fire to a car about 3:35 p.m.  last Friday. The fire marshals detained the boy, who was released to his parents.

“I want to commend the two auto parts employees that assisted,” Willaford said.
The first car fire—which was the largest of the three—occurred last Wednesday about  4:09 p.m. at the auto salvage yard on South Roxbury Mill Road, Willaford said. About 20 firefighters and medics responded.

About 12 responded to the car fires last Thursday and Friday.

—Jeff Branscome