Prosecutors in California have decided
not to charge the 10-year-old boy who admitted to starting a the fire
last month that destroyed 38,000 acres and 21 homes in Northern Los
Angeles County.
The Los
Angeles County prosecutor's office said in a statement Tuesday there
was no evidence of intent by the boy, who told investigators he was
playing with matches on Oct. 21 when he accidentally set fire to dry
brush.
The case is being
referred to the Department of Children and Family Services to determine
what further steps, if any, can be made.
No
other information about the investigation, including the identity of
the boy, was released because the case involves a minor.
The
Los Angeles times has quoted Dave Hillman, chief of investigations for
the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection as saying,
"When someone under 12 sets a fire, his or her actions are considered
"playing with fire" and not arson.
Early
this year, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office also
refused to prosecute two teenagers who started a fire in the Hollywood
Hills.
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