Officials say juvenile started California wildfire

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Investigators who spent weeks examining photos and tips from the public have identified a juvenile as a suspect for intentionally starting the most destructive of nearly a dozen wildfires that ripped through Southern California this spring, officials said Wednesday.

The San Diego County District Attorney's office said a hearing has been set for July 30 for the juvenile, whose identity has not been released. Authorities would not say whether an arrest has been made nor provide any details other than to say the person is believed to be responsible for setting the Cocos fire, which quickly spread amid windy, dry conditions.

The blaze burned 36 houses and one business in San Marcos, a city of 85,000 north of San Diego. Investigators say the suspect is not believed to be linked to the other wildfires burning at that time.

The wildfires that erupted over a span of days in San Diego County prompted tens of thousands of evacuations and caused more than $20 million in damages.

FULL story at link.



Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140709/us--california_wildfires-suspect-e3e2a3eebb.html

[Hekate]

1. That's one down. Now they need to get the other firebugs, and I hope they can do so quickly. nt

[bluestateguy]

2. Staple it to every college application he sends out

nt

[olddad56]

3. probably not bound for college. but once he is captured and convicted, he will have plenty to staple

to any app he fills out.

[mopinko]

4. yup

if they ever let him out of the psyche ward.
i dont say that lightly.
firebugs are dangerous, dangerous people. maybe he is young enough to get some help. i hope he does.
but...

[mrdmk]

5. The last line about a person adding brush to fire sounds like the blaze next my house

I was at school in San Diego wondering if I had a home to go to, or if I could at best get home. Lots of anxiety at that time here in San Diego County...

[Dreamer Tatum]

6. We were assured it was climate change. nt

[greiner3]

8. Uhhhhh;

In this climate at DU of every other post seemingly sent to a jury, I think you need to add '/s' or the smilie 'satire' icon at least.

Just sayin'.

[Dreamer Tatum]

9. Um, NO. I was assured that several fires breaking out at once is a sign of climate change.

I don't feel like naming names or searching. But it happened.

[greiner3]

10. Again;

You might want to add a link, either a DU post or an outside source; the DU troll/police might be watching.

Does THIS post need the /s?

[NickB79]

12. Climate change is creating CONDITIONS ripe for large, intense fires

Surely you're not implying that anyone has said that climate change LITERALLY causes fires to spontaneously erupt, correct?

Without climate change actively occurring, it would be far harder for most of the sparks, embers, campfires, etc, that are always present to some extent to take hold and spread as rapidly as they have been, simply because the land would be greener and less flammable. Thus, more multiple fires breaking out at once, even though the number of sources may have remained fairly constant over time.

If a tanker of gasoline jack-knifed on the freeway and spilled out, and then a minute later a car hit it and created a spark, did the tanker spill or the car spark cause the fire?

[valerief]

7. If only more juveniles had matches, we'd have fewer fires. --gungeoneer logic. nt

[alp227]

11. San Diego Union-Tribune article

Juvenile accused of starting Cocos fire

SAN MARCOS — A juvenile is suspected of intentionally starting the Cocos fire in San Marcos that burned nearly 2,000 acres and destroyed dozens of homes on May 14, officials said Wednesday.

No evidence was found linking the youth to any other of the several fires that swept through the county that day, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, and nothing has been found that connects any of those fires to each other.

A spokeswoman for the District Attorney’s office said the youth — whose name, age and gender haven’t been released — is due in Juvenile Court on July 30.

For weeks, investigators have probed the causes of several fires that erupted throughout the day on May 14 from Carlsbad to Camp Pendleton to Fallbrook. Hot Santa Ana winds whipped the blazes, which charred more than 26,500 acres as they burned through vegetation left tinder-dry from prolonged drought. Thousands of North County residents were forced to evacuate.

LA Times: San Marcos fire was intentionally set by a juvenile, sheriff says