Three teenagers have been charged in connection with a destructive fire in Riverside that authorities say was caused by fireworks.
The Hawarden fire burned 240 hectares, destroyed seven homes and damaged another 18. On the day the fire started (21 July), temperatures exceeded 38 degrees and winds blew at 43 km/h, spreading the flames rapidly.
The fire sparked “immeasurable levels of fear” among residents “who rightly fear for their safety,” Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said at a news conference Thursday announcing the charges against the three.
“All fireworks are illegal in the city of Riverside for a reason,” he said.
According to Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez, three people are seen on surveillance video lighting the fireworks that started the fire. They lit the fireworks in an open field and then fled the scene in a silver pickup truck, he said.
The county on Thursday filed 27 counts of “arson and malicious arson” against the three juveniles, all 16 years old, whom police did not identify because of their ages, Gonzalez said. Two of the three have been arrested.
The Hawarden fire was a “fast-moving, wind-driven” blaze that was contained after eight days, Riverside Fire Chief Michael Moore said.
According to him, the damage caused by the fire amounted to 28 million dollars and the cost of fighting the fire was estimated at 1.5 million dollars.
