The city of Riverside grapples with the aftermath of the Hawarden Fire, initially ignited by illegal firework activities by three local teens. Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson confirmed that two of the youths involved were arrested, while a third faces serious charges, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. The blaze, which took root on July 21 amidst scorching temperatures and wind, tragically razed seven homes and damaged 18 additional structures. The cost of the damage is pegged around $28 million, with firefighting efforts alone tallying up to $1.5 million.
Arrests were made following surveillance footage that captured the teens as they hastily tried to flee in a silver pickup truck after setting off the fireworks. Riverside Police Department Chief Larry Gonzalez stated, "Today, 27 charges of willful and malicious firesetting were filed against these juveniles," as obtained by CBS News Los Angeles. California law deems the fireworks used as "dangerous," a classification meant to deter exactly such catastrophic outcomes.
While the identities of the adolescents remain undisclosed due to their age, the gravity of their actions shakes a community now left to toil in the wreckage of their misadventure. "This fire was caused by an illegal use of fireworks," Dawson lamented, underscoring the city's prohibition of pyrotechnics, a detail echoed by CBS News Los Angeles. The arrested teens are detained in juvenile facilities, with the third's location not immediately disclosed.
The Riverside Fire Department and its Chief Michael Moore dedicated significant resources, to battling the fire over eight days, finally reaching containment but not before the fire scorched approximately 600 acres. More than 1,500 residents were forced to evacuate their homes during the ordeal. "To those who lost their homes, we pray for you. We can't imagine the emotional stress you've gone through," shared Riverside City Councilmember Chuck Condor, in a statement to NBC Los Angeles.
