Posted on 10/30/2007 10:11:26 PM PDT by Santa Fe_Conservative
Edited on 10/30/2007 10:38:14 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - A boy playing with matches started a fire in north Los Angeles County that consumed more than 38,000 acres and destroyed 21 homes last week, authorities said Tuesday. Sheriff's Sgt. Diane Hecht said she did not know the boy's exact age, but she believed he was younger than a teenager.
The boy, whose name and age were not released, was interviewed a day after the Buckweed Fire was sparked Oct. 21, said sheriff's Sgt. Diane Hecht.
"He admitted to playing with matches and accidentally starting the fire," said Hecht said in a statement.
The boy was released to his parents, and the case will be be presented to the district attorney's office, Hecht said.
The 60-square-mile fire began in an area near Agua Dulce and quickly spread by fierce desert winds. It was among more than a dozen major wildfires that killed 14 people and blackened 809 square miles from Los Angeles to the Mexican border.
Authorities arrested five people for arson during that period, but none have been linked to any of the major blazes.
I think the MSM needs to determine whether the kid is a future Democrat or Republican..... if a Republican, crucify him. If a Democrat, well of course he meant well and only wanted to demonstrate the eviiiiillll nature of the Bush admin. /s
egads. Didn’t you ever screw up when you were a kid? I left a pitchfork out and my horse stepped on it. It came up and slapped him on the fanny. He came down on the handle at the groin. $1200 later, the horse was okay, but I felt like dog food myself. My parents were understandably angry and I had to stay up with the horse for two days to make sure he peed. But my parents couldn’t be there every second. You just pray you do the best you can and the kid doesn’t kill someone just for being a kid. This whole story is a real sad situation for the kid, the parents, the families that lost their homes. I can’t think of one person, and I know a couple, that lost everything or were evacuated, that would have a kid playing with matches punished like that. That certainly wouldn’t bring back their house. It would only make me feel worse. What makes me feel better is how those neighborhoods including mine have rallied to get those people new clothes, kitchen ware, blankets, whatever they need.
My dad raised 13 of us. None of ever burned down the house, but man o man, it was close a couple of times. And he’s an AF colonel. Not one to brook disobedience. You’d almost rather fall on your sword.
One thing that seemed to help with my older son was that I said he could light matches as long as I was around. So if he felt that he wanted to do this he could just ask me. This probably wouldn’t work with every kid.
There was a house fire down the street from me. I went down to look just as a man with his arm around a sobbing boy of about 10yrs. old was walking toward me. He was telling the kid, “Just tell the truth and everything will be o.k.” The kid must’ve had the whole world on his shoulders.
I think the kid probably discovered fire when he and dad had that little talk out back of the blackened woodshed.I was thinking of the original discovery of fire. I can imagine a cave father being irate at having to find a new cave.
Where’s the torches and pitchforks gang calling for the kid’s beheading?
I’ve often wondered how certain kids survive childhood. My eldest comes to mind...
But, he’s now a good husband, a proud Dad twice over, and a solid soldier in the U.S. Army.
For all the stuff he broke, some of it other people’s, and quite expensive, and for the couple of times he danged near killed himself, I guess it could have been worse. My heart goes out to all the families affected by this horrific tragedy.
But the MSM said GLOBAL WARMING caused the fires!! I expect a full retraction and public apology from them!
(need I say sarc?)
LOL, I hear ya. We had weapons leaning in the corner near the front door. I wouldn’t have touched one of those for anything. My grandfather was an honery old cuss, and he would have lit my backside on fire for sure.
Oy. This is why “regulation” is first step in discipline. If the children can’t get them (matches) , they cant make trouble. Especially at 4 years of age.
I can envision a bunch of different scenarios, some funny, some not so funny.
Now, let me tell you about her cooking. Dad hated her cooking. So when we all gathered for the holidays, I had to cook. We went out one day to go shooting. When we came back, my sister had cooked these beautiful 1" thick pork chops without benefit of spices, coverage, etc. They were hard as rocks. My dad was furious. Threw her out of the kitchen. Made me cook an "emergency" pot of spaghetti, which I did. Next morning, we went target shooting. Skeet. First up, me. PULL. Across the back forty flies two 1" pork chops. I was laughing so hard I nearly missed them. He's yellin' "shoot shoot damnit or I'll kick your a$$". I loved my dad. He was great.
you could not have said it better.
My son was 7 when he found some wooden matches in his dad’s work clothes pocket in the laundry basket that had survived the wash. He struck one in his bedroom to see if it would still light, and set the place on fire when it burned his fingers and he dropped it near the bedspread.
He then went outside, filled his red wagon with water, and started down the hall to put it out. A squeaky wheel gave him away, and fortunately we got the fire out before the rest of the house went up. The fire Dept. then showed up and really messed up the place with axes and their water hoses.
I know he never forgot it, and we never had another problem with him and matches. But there was the time he got his arm stuck in the claw machine at the market when it broke and wouldn’t return his quarter, and they called the fire Dept. to get him loose, but that’s another story...
That is just lovely.
What a remarable thing it would be if his name happened to be ''Hispanic'', eh?
Your poor sister.
One of my best friends can’t cook an egg without it turning black. (But, she has the sweetest heart in the world.)
I hope your sister can afford to eat out or have meals delivered.
I spend nearly every third weekend protesting the Home Depot lounges and assorted other hideouts that plague LA County. There is 70 Billion dollars a year spent by our government to house, heal and educate illegals and I think that’s awful. In fact, I will vote for the sole candidate that addresses this. However, I think this post is a bit on the over the top side. Just my opinion, but not all hispanics are illegal. And not all hispanics are neglectful parents. Just sayin’.
Very admirable job. Well done.
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