10 year old started one of California Fires - What do you think they should do?
By coffeebreak
@coffeebreak (17798)
United States
November 7, 2007 7:25pm CST
They just aired that they caught the 10 year old boy that started one of hte huge wild fires here in california. This is what it said:
Southern Californians are stillsortig through the wreckage from the fires, which burned more than 800 square miles - an area 40 times as large as Manhattan - and destroyed some 2100 homes. The 10 year old's carelessness sparked the Buckweed fire in Los Angeles County, which destroyed 21 homes and injured at least 3 people"
They are trying to figure how they should handle charges, punishment or restitution to the boy. It doesn't say where the parents were when he did this or how he got hold of the (I assume) matches or whatever it was that started the fire nor why was a 10 year old boy alone in that forrest area.
What do you think should be done? This is a hard one, although the ones that lost their homes and everything they owned think he should be punished pretty hard, but seems to me more the parents show shoulder at least some of it, if not most? What do you think?
1 person likes this
7 responses
@suehan1 (4344)
• Australia
8 Nov 07
i think that this child should be made to do community service for a long time. he should be made to work in the community to help rebuild what he has destroyed.if his parents were not supervising him they should do community service as well. i know my son can be naughty and do bad things,but i always know what he is up too and he is never left unsupervised
1 person likes this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
8 Nov 07
Now that's at least a good place to start. They should have to help rebuild. All three of them should be supervised! The child because he didn't have any and look what he did, and te parents because - they weren't and look what they let happen. Funny, nothing has come aross as to where they were and why the boy was alone in the first place.
@nelahplour (4)
• United States
8 Nov 07
Let's face it we all have done foolish things, I'm sure the child didn't mean to do it. I think the child should be taken to actual fires and find out the sort of damage and destruction caused by fires and the lives they ruin.
The real problem is in the poor fire prevention methods in the region. Theses types of fires happen all the time in the same area. I'm sure we have many technologies that can adequately address the problem. For example using building materials that can slow the spread of fire, early warning system, massive sprinkler or fire containment system that can be monitored by fireman and positioned at key points to help contain the blazes before firemen even arrive on the seen, maybe cutting paths between rows of trees that don't allow fire to cause so much damage in such a short period of time.
If we don't think about this problem from new angles these fires will continue to plaque the region, you can't really do much to control carelessness, but you can develop a better system to limit it's destructive effects.
1 person likes this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
8 Nov 07
I followed this one closely as it was so close to me, and they (all those "supervising" those that did whatever their jobs were to do) said this was record response to any other fires ever. They even got the super scoopers out in record time - didn't wait for all the paper work this time. The part the some miss is the Santa Ana winds. Those are horrible - 80-100 mph. You can't fly in those winds, and some didn't understand that for being the reason water droppers were grounded. Plus they didnn't understand the procedure that any "outside plane/pilot" had to be "taken in" by a local pilot so as to show what was the actual fire and what was back fires and fire breaks purposely started by the fire departments so they water droppers weren't putting out fire breaks that were set to stop the fire. IF they aren' tin the area, they wouldn't know which was the fire and which was the fire break and all. Of course the departments got reemed for that by the media and "others" that didn't understand this and they complained that the water droppers were grounded aparently for no reason. They were grounded because they couldn't fly in 100mph winds.
@eyewitness (1575)
• Netherlands
8 Nov 07
children that age know very well what fire can cause.
It's maybe hard to think but i would prosecute him as an adult.
I'm really sorry for those who were enjured and who lost their homes.
Let justice be served for these people.Or as i read in this discussion juvenile institution and counselling.
It's very sad to hear children of that age are already doing things like that
1 person likes this
@theprogamer (10534)
• United States
8 Nov 07
While I think some kind of punishment should be meted out, I'm more focused on the rebuilding effort in this whole situation. As for the kid, there should be some sort of probation, community service, something along those lines. The parents might be responsible too and instead of just automatically locking them up, they could also serve some of the original sentence I stated for the child.
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@ayou82 (3450)
• Philippines
8 Nov 07
Well being an arsonist in an early age is really alarming. Because there is a psychological impact on this certain child that started this fire. But see where it started before they blmae this ten year old boy..there must be someone who are irresponsible before this boy started it.
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@ersmommy1 (12588)
• United States
8 Nov 07
I feel bad for all involved. For those that lost everything they own restitution should be paid. Imagine what that boys life will be like. To forever be known as some sort of an arsonist. I'm sure the courts will figure out the financial end of things. The boy may end up in a juvenile facility, and probably receive counseling. Just sad. And the parents I just dont know.
