Two teenagers were arrested for igniting the Hawarden Fire that destroyed several homes in the city of Riverside in July while another minor faced “serious charges,” officials confirmed Thursday.
Two of the 16-year-olds were taken into custody earlier on Thursday, Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said, adding the brush fire, which destroyed seven homes and damaged 18 others, was caused by illegal use of fireworks.
“(The fire) caused immeasurable levels of fear among the residents who were rightly afraid for their safety,” Dawson said. “All fireworks are illegal in the city of Riverside for a reason.”
The two arrested teens were booked into a juvenile detention facilities while the other suspect would face charges out of Riverside County, the mayor explained.
Officials did not disclose the teens’ gender, schools and other details due to their age.
The Hawarden Fire, which was first reported at around 1 p.m. on July 21 …