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LA fire started by boy with matches
AP via Yahoo News ^

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.


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: boy; buckweedfire; fires; socal; wildfires
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To: valkyry1
I took one last look back, and the monster was still going around in a circle looking for sight of me.
What a great story. I can just see the beast coming after you. Who says monsters aren't real. Glad it didn't get you!
61 posted on 10/31/2007 1:07:26 AM PDT by 21stCenturyFreeThinker
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To: Mjaye

Ha! Sounds like a “Leave it to Beaver” episode.


62 posted on 10/31/2007 1:15:49 AM PDT by Minutemen ("It's a Religion of Peace")
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To: ican'tbelieveit
So if you are talking about a 10 year old, or older, how do you propose locking up all matches and lighters from them.
I don't. But I'm not in favor of issuing every 10 year old a lighter and lighter fluid either. It's not a choice between making implements of fire freely available to every 10 year old or locking them all up in a safe (either the fire implements or the 10 year olds).

There's a big difference between you driving on the ranch and a kid driving in the streets of Manhattan. I was racing motorcycles when I wasn't much older so I'm hardly in favor of keeping kids in a padded room. It just depends on the context.

63 posted on 10/31/2007 1:23:51 AM PDT by 21stCenturyFreeThinker
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative
What harm can kids do?


64 posted on 10/31/2007 1:28:46 AM PDT by weegee (NO THIRD TERM. America does not need another unconstitutional Clinton co-presidency.)
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To: Tammy8

There also come personal responsibility and owning up to what was done.


65 posted on 10/31/2007 1:30:31 AM PDT by weegee (NO THIRD TERM. America does not need another unconstitutional Clinton co-presidency.)
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To: 21stCenturyFreeThinker

I guess you might be able to say that it was a monster of my own creation ;-)


66 posted on 10/31/2007 1:35:17 AM PDT by valkyry1
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To: weegee

Well in those cases the kids are being sent to death by their parents and the kid is incognizant of that, the child wants to please their parents.


67 posted on 10/31/2007 1:42:04 AM PDT by valkyry1
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To: valkyry1

HAHhahhaa.... You remind me of my brothers. We went to a football game with our rivals. We won, 35-0. On the way out, I was driving the family’s Travelall. All of a sudden they jumped in the back and yelled “drive!” The next morning I heard one of the homecoming floats burst into flames because “someone” was smoking on the platform. Years later I married a man from the rival school. I was laughingly telling the story when he told me that was HIS TRUCK. My brothers were understandably silent.....looking all nonchalant...so innocent.


68 posted on 10/31/2007 1:43:11 AM PDT by Hi Heels (Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult)
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative

But Dingy Harry said it was Gorebal Warning!


69 posted on 10/31/2007 1:57:32 AM PDT by ExGeeEye (I've been waiting since 11/04/79 to do something about Iran.)
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To: Hi Heels

Oh man that made me laugh so much! That is so poignant!


70 posted on 10/31/2007 1:59:27 AM PDT by valkyry1
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To: 21stCenturyFreeThinker

The original post that I was objecting to was to lock them up. I am not saying hand out the lighter and match; but I am fundamentally opposed to suggesting that we should lock up everything from kids instead of being responsible adults and instilling responsibility into children.

It is our job to train them, teach them, instill values; not protect them from every perceived danger. If you will simply teach them right, wrong, and consequences, you won’t have to worry about every single danger out there because they will apply broader lessons.


71 posted on 10/31/2007 2:03:28 AM PDT by ican'tbelieveit ((Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team# 36120), KW:Folding))
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To: 21stCenturyFreeThinker
There's a reason young children can't drive cars, not that they don't try it sometimes.

When I was about three, my dad parked the '65 Falcon wagon next to the house so he could load some stuff into or out of the shed. He left the stickshift car in reverse and the keys on the seat.

I got in, put the keys in the ignition and turned 'em. The starter motor was strong enough to push the car backwards into the house.

I do remember I was distraught; I don't remember getting so much as a stern talking-to.

Stuff happens. Buy insurance.

72 posted on 10/31/2007 2:08:04 AM PDT by ExGeeEye (I've been waiting since 11/04/79 to do something about Iran.)
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To: Santa Fe_Conservative

That kid sounds like he’s in BIG trouble.

I wonder what can be done to him. If he is younger than a teenager than there probably not much they can do. I mean would they send him to a juvenile home???


73 posted on 10/31/2007 2:11:53 AM PDT by napscoordinator
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To: racing fan
I was going to ask you if you have kids but you will probably tell me about the ten wonderful kids you raised that never did anything wrong, even accidentally.
74 posted on 10/31/2007 2:16:50 AM PDT by muggs
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To: ican'tbelieveit
It is our job to train them, teach them, instill values; not protect them from every perceived danger.
Yeah, I think we agree for the most part. There are some dangers kids need to be protected from, but not near as many as people think. You're right that teaching kids how to make decisions works a lot better than always enforcing your own.

On that note I'm going to call it quits for the evening.

75 posted on 10/31/2007 2:17:03 AM PDT by 21stCenturyFreeThinker
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To: DogandPonyShow

Wow! All I did was set a hay trailer on fire in 1950!

I still didn’t learn till 1956 with a small grass fire.


76 posted on 10/31/2007 2:21:25 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: ican'tbelieveit
Stop dumbing down our children, make them functional.

You might not get a second chance to make the kid functional.

You can't leave dangerous objects around and expect that most kids will not be curious.

77 posted on 10/31/2007 2:23:13 AM PDT by muggs
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To: DogandPonyShow
One child I used to play with around age 7-8 was lighting matches and burned part of their house causing a great deal of damage. I was there but I wasn't playing with matches or anything, if I recall, I wanted to do something else. I wasn't really paying attention other than I finally got him to play something else. I remember my parents asking me about it later, apparently the kid blamed me for the resulting fire. I denied everything calmly and never heard anything else about it. Of course we never saw the family again. To this day I still remember now and then, just like now, and make sure I talk to my mom and let her know I didn't do it and I wasn't lying...LOL!
78 posted on 10/31/2007 2:49:04 AM PDT by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: napscoordinator
That kid sounds like he’s in BIG trouble

He's responsible for more burnt property than the entire Black Panther Party in the 60's.
79 posted on 10/31/2007 2:57:42 AM PDT by Thrownatbirth (.....when the sidewalks are safe for the little guy.)
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To: muggs
I was going to ask you if you have kids but you will probably tell me about the ten wonderful kids you raised that never did anything wrong, even accidentally.

And they were all homeschooled.

80 posted on 10/31/2007 3:02:20 AM PDT by ShadowDancer ("To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.")
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