Children Suspected of Arson in 8 Brush Fires

A group of children between the ages of 9 and 13 is believed to have deliberately started a brush fire that blazed through more than 300 acres in Green Valley on Friday, and may be responsible for seven smaller fires in the same area since last summer, the U.S. Forest Service reported Thursday.

The children, who live in or near Green Valley, are believed to have deliberately set four small fires in the month preceding last week’s fire and three small fires last summer, said Ranger Mike Wickman, who heads the Saugus Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service.

Wickman said the children number fewer than 10, but he would not say exactly how many are involved. He said officials will decide after completing their investigation whether to seek felony arson charges against the children, all of whom have been interviewed by investigators but not arrested.

Evidence of Arson

Forest Service spokesmen initially said last week’s fire appeared to have been accidentally started by children playing with matches. But Wickman said the continuing investigation uncovered evidence of arson.

“The evidence is pointing to pre-planned ignition,” he said. “It’s arson as opposed to children playing.”

“This problem is within the community,” he said. “It’s not coming from outside.”

Investigators had not determined a motive for the fires.

None of the fires damaged houses or other structures, authorities said. Last week’s fire came within 150 yards of houses but favorable wind conditions and a contingent of 450 firefighters kept the flames at bay, Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Scott E. Franklin said. Two of the smaller fires burned close to houses but caused no structural damage, Wickman said.

The smaller fires burned less than an acre each and were quickly contained, Wickman said.

Book of Matches

Wickman would not discuss details of the investigation but said that evidence found where the fires began indicated they had been started by the children. The evidence included a book of matches found at the starting point of last week’s fire, near San Francisquito Canyon Road and Spunky Canyon Road. Also, a witness saw the children leaving the area of the fire soon after it began, he said.

Wickman said officials need additional evidence and statements from other witnesses to complete the investigation. “At this point in time, we still need a break in the information,” he said.

For two weeks starting Sunday, three Forest Service employees will patrol the area on mountain bikes, checking for suspicious activity and hoping to raise fire awareness, Wickman said.

“It’s a fairly closed community, so we can cover a lot of ground on bikes,” he said. “It’s a little easier way to contact children than in a big green truck” with flashing emergency lights, he said.