Idaho teen arrested after he lit off firework on BLM land, sheriff’s office says
A 16-year-old Meridian teenager was arrested and charged with arson after he allegedly set off a firework north of Eagle last weekend, according to the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
Several fire crews responded to a multi-acre fire at around 9 p.m. Saturday, after the teenager lit a “mortar-style firework” near Hartley Road in Eagle, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Authorities said the fire burned about 28 acres before the crews suppressed it.
No structures were lost, but the sheriff’s office said it took the Bureau of Land Management along with the Eagle, Meridian, Middleton and Star fire departments over three hours to contain the blaze. The teen was charged with third-degree arson.
Authorities said the teen was with a group of other teenage boys who were driving around BLM land before the fire started. The teen then told the others he had a firework that he wanted to light, the sheriff’s office said, but was warned by the others not to because it might start a fire.
The teen ended up lighting the firework and igniting nearby brush, the release said. The teens attempted to put out the fire but weren’t able to, so they drove away, and one of the teens called 911 to inform authorities about the fire.
The teenager who authorities said started the fire got out of the SUV and ran away before deputies could contact him, according to the release. He was later found by a nearby canal and taken to the Ada County Juvenile Detention Center.
This story was originally published September 21, 2023 at 5:59 PM.
