No Charges For 10-Year Old CA Fire Starter

November 13, 2007 · Filed Under Legal News, U.S. News

A 10-year-old boy who admitted starting a 38,000-acre fire last month that destroyed 21 homes in northern Los Angeles County will not be charged, prosecutors said Tuesday.

There was no evidence of intent by the boy who accidentally ignited brush outside his home by playing with matches, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Authorities are referring the case to the Department of Children and Family Services to determine if further steps are necessary. No other information about the investigation was released because the case involves a minor.

It’s a tough call in a situation like this. That boy sparked a blaze that leveled 21 people’s homes and wrecked hundreds of lives, but in the end he’s only 10-years old. Everyone can remember back to when they were that young, and most of us certainly played with matches a time or two.

If my house was burned down I think I’d be angriest at the parents for not watching their son better, but there again it’s hard to blame the parents completely. As anyone with kids knows, you can’t have your eyes on them every second of the day.

So maybe a savage Thailand style caning might be appropriate?

-Chris Jones