Overall, three 16-year-olds were identified to be responsible for causing the devastating brush fire.
Two teenagers were arrested for igniting the Hawarden Fire that destroyed several homes in the city of Riverside in July while another minor faced “serious charges,” officials confirmed Thursday.
Two of the 16-year-olds were taken into custody earlier on Thursday, Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said, adding the brush fire, which destroyed seven homes and damaged 18 others, was caused by illegal use of fireworks.
“(The fire) caused immeasurable levels of fear among the residents who were rightly afraid for their safety,” Dawson said. “All fireworks are illegal in the city of Riverside for a reason.”
The two arrested teens were booked into a juvenile detention facilities while the other suspect would face charges out of Riverside County, the mayor explained.
Officials did not disclose the teens’ gender, schools and other details due to their age.
The Hawarden Fire, which was first reported at around 1 p.m. on July 21 as temperatures reached over 100 degrees with moderate winds.
The fire, which scorched over 600 acres, cost the city at least $1.5 million in response while the damages to the homes are estimated to be about $28 million, officials said.
Investigators said video footage showed the suspects running away in a silver pickup truck as soon as the fireworks went off.
“After canvassing the neighborhood, investigators located the silver pickup and subsequently identified three individuals as 16-year-old juveniles,” Chief Larry Gonzalez with the Riverside Police Department said. “Search warrants were obtained and served at their homes where electronic devices were seized as part of this investigation as well.”
While the fire was put contained about eight days later, those who lost their properties continue to suffer in the aftermath.
“To those who lost their homes, we pray for you. We can’t imagine the emotional stress you’ve gone through,” Riverside City Councilmember Chuck Condor said. “To those who had minor damage or no damage, you still suffered tremendous emotional scars. It’s hard for me to imagine what you all thought that day.”
