Teen Suspects in O.C. Arson Are Located

Three teenagers suspected of starting a fire that destroyed four San Clemente condominiums have been tracked to other states, and Orange County arson investigators said Wednesday they are negotiating for their return.

The three suspects have hired defense attorneys, who are in talks with the Orange County Fire Authority about having the juveniles voluntarily come back to California to face arson charges. If those negotiations break down, Battalion Chief Scott Brown said authorities will pursue other options.

“Extradition is a possibility,” Brown said. “However, we are attempting to gain their full cooperation through their legal counsel to discuss this with us.”

Officials would not disclose the location of the suspects or say whether they were in Orange County on vacation at the time of the fire or local residents who fled afterward.

The Aug. 1 fire raced up a coastal canyon near the San Clemente Pier, destroying a three-unit condo complex valued at nearly $1 million and one unit in a neighboring building. A home on the opposite side of the canyon was seriously damaged.

Several witnesses reported seeing two or three teenagers running from the area near the beach where the fire broke out.

Brown declined to detail how investigators believe the fire started, saying it would jeopardize both their probe and negotiations with the teens’ lawyers.

“Our investigators are in the process of collecting additional evidence to present to the district attorney,” he said.

No one was injured in the fire, but dozens of residents were forced to evacuate as more than 100 firefighters battled the blaze.

Authorities concluded that the fire was fueled partly by improperly cleared brush. Coastal sage and other native vegetation known to be highly combustible weave their way through many backyards along the canyon’s ridge, in some cases growing far too close to foundations. Under the county’s Uniform Fire Code, owners and renters in hillside areas must leave 30 to 100 feet of “defensible space” for firefighters to work within. Some residents didn’t have the required buffer zone.

After the brush fire in San Clemente, the Orange County Fire Authority said it would develop a campaign to educate residents on clearing brush and growing native plants.