Information

[LKappy]

If so, what punishment?If not, what punishment? LOS ANGELES - Prosecutors will review the evidence before deciding whether to charge a 12-year-old boy whose play with matches started a blaze that ripped through nearly 60 square miles and destroyed 21 homes, authorities said Wednesday."It was a child-set fire, but it is not clear what his intentions were at this time," said Bill McSweeney, chief of the Los Angeles County sheriff's homeland security department.The boy admitted to starting the fire in north Los Angeles County after arson investigators determined the blaze began Oct. 21 outside his Agua Dulce home. The home was not damaged, said Los Angeles County fire Capt. Michael Brown.The prosecutor's office was "not sure whether they'll bring any charges, given that it was an accidental fire," Brown said.Prosecutors were set to evaluate evidence in the case as investigators continued to question what started more than 15 major wildfires last week. Downed power lines, arson and construction workers have been blamed with starting five other fires that destroyed some 2,100 homes and blackened 809 square miles from Los Angeles County to the Mexican border in the past 10 days.State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner estimated that damage from the fires, most of which were contained by Wednesday afternoon, would exceed $1.5 billion.Investigators blamed an arsonist for setting a fire in Orange County that blackened nearly 45 square miles and destroyed 16 homes.Authorities had sought the driver of a pickup truck spotted in a canyon area around the time the fire broke out. The truck was located and its owners interviewed, but they were not considered arson suspects, said Kris Concepcion, Orange County Fire Authority battalion chief.Workers using grinding tools on a construction site on Oct. 21 were blamed for a fire near the Magic Mountain theme park in the Santa Clarita Valley that scorched more than 4 square miles over the next few days.Investigators determined that power lines toppled by the powerful Santa Ana winds were behind a 14-square-mile fire in San Diego and a 7-square-mile blaze in Malibu.A 91-square-mile blaze in northern Los Angeles County and eastern Ventura County had earlier been listed as fully contained, but officials said Wednesday that containment was actually at 97 percent. A fire in San Bernardino County, east of Los Angeles, was also 97 percent contained.A mandatory evacuation order was set to be lifted Thursday morning for burned areas near Running Springs and Arrowbear, San Bernardino County fire spokesman Jerry Rohnert said. The Green Valley Lake area was still being assessed.Across the region, at least 127 evacuees remained in four shelters.Also Wednesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed state officials to prepare for a new round of possible fires in Southern California as forecasters predicted moderate Santa Ana winds later in the week."We are not out of the danger zone yet," Schwarzenegger said at a meeting with the state National Guard, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and Office of Emergency Services.State fire officials were deploying firefighting planes and helicopters in fire-prone areas, according to the governor's office. The National Guard also planned to deploy 1,500 Guardsmen and six helicopters to respond to possible flare-ups.The governor's announcement came amid criticism of state officials after Marine, Navy and National Guard helicopters were grounded because personnel required to be on board weren't immediately available.The Associated Press reported last week National Guard's two newest C-130 cargo planes couldn't help because they had yet to be outfitted with tanks needed to carry thousands of gallons of fire retardant.___

[Queen Mum]

Wow.   That is so difficult. 

I really don't know. 

[anthacat]

I do think he should be charged.Not as an adult, but I do think that it warrants charges filed against him.  At 12, he knows right from wrong and he knows that fire can destroy things.  ETA - destroy things AND people.

[doglady]

No but he needs to be placed in a "fire starter" programs that most municipalities have that teach children consequences and follow them over time.  This is not uncommon with pre teen and teen boys.  They like to experiment with all sorts of flammables and build rockets and mini explosives.  My 9 year old brother was playing with some friends as they were experimenting with chemicals inside an egg shell to see it explode.  They started the woods on fire and burned down 10 acres.  It was bad but my brother had a genius IQ and was always experimenting with things.  At age 5 he hollowed out plastic plasitc cannons and wired red LCDs to a circuit that he saw in a book so when he fired his cannons they would glow red.  He did this completely on his own without help.  He got the LCDs because my father was VP of a company that made circuits and LCDs.  He thought my brother was taking them to show and tell!

[anthacat]

No but he needs to be placed in a "fire starter" programs that most municipalities have that teach children consequences and follow them over time.I didn't know that programs like that exist.  That's a good idea.

[berries]

Yes, he should be charged. I dont think he should spend life in prison or anything but I definately think he should suffer some consequences.

[koala1966]

It's really very sad, and I really hate to think of giving a 12 year old child a "record", but at the same time he is old enough to know better.  He's old enough to know you don't play with matches - and if he was never taught that, then shame on his parents.  I also think it should be a little harder to get his hands on matches than it apparantly was, and I have to wonder if his parents are smokers.  As smokers, do parents ever realize how dangerous their lighters and matches are when small and not-so-small children are around the house? We were taught from a young age (by the school, the fire department, AND our parents) that you don't play with matches.  We were taught how to put fires out, both electrical and non.  We were taught to report fires immediately.  It sounds like this young boy started a fire and didn't report it, if they didn't know right away that he had done it.  So how many houses could have been saved if he'd immediately called the fire department?I don't think the boy's punishment should include any kind of detention center time, because in my opinion if you take a good child and put them in a bad environment, they'll go bad in a large percentage of those cases.  But I do think he should face community service, and maybe his parents too, because seriously, where did he get the matches?I don't want to judge, accidents happen and could happen to any of us.  But there should be consequences, especially if he did not immediately report the fire.  This affected a lot of people.

[dynalady]

 because in my opinion if you take a good child and put them in a bad environment, they'll go bad in a large percentage of those cases.I don't agree, for starters, that you can just call him a good child. There have been children younger than 12 deemed capable of knowing enough to be charged with murder, and convicted. And as far as getting the matches, they aren't exactly controlled substances. Even if there are a pile of them in the house you shouldn't hve to hide matches from a 12 year old. I think he should be charged with something, although I don't know what the legal charge would be, and serve time somewhere.

[MNBonnie]

If he was say 15 or 16, I'd say he should definitely be charged.    If he were say 4 or 5, I'd say no, but the parents should be charged for letting him have access to matches unsupervised and he should constantly be reminded how dangerous matches and lighters are, and not left alone with them.    At 10 or 12, I think it's tougher to decide.   He definitely needs to learn a lesson and have to realize just how his actions impacted so many people's lives and homes.    But I think at that age he should definitely be held more responsible for his own actions, but not as much as a 15 or 16 year old would.    Financially, man, I don't know.  Maybe the parents should have to pay something, but I don't think bankrupting the family for the rest of their lives is the answer, either.    I'd have a more clear cut opinion if he were older or younger.  But that age is tough to decide what the best solution would be, IMO.

[dianagirly]

Give the kid Juvie and community service hours rebuilding and cleaning up the destruction.

[tbroussard]

Yes, but I'm not sure to to what extent.  I do not think it should go unpunished.  I think it should go in his record and there should be some sort of consequence.  Community service is an excellent idea.  I also think he should visit burn units to re-enforce the dangers of what can happen to people who get burned. My DD is 10 and she knows she's not to touch matches or lighters.