-
May 11, 2008 12:02 am US/Pacific
-
Digg |
Facebook |
E-mail
|
Print
Two Fires At Sacramento-Area School Playgrounds
Two Kids Cited For One Fire; Investigators Do Not Believe Fires Are Connected
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ―
Two fires broke out at Sacramento school playgrounds on Saturday, and two kids were cited in connection with one of the fires. Despite some similarities, investigators do not believe the fires are connected.
Several witnesses saw the playground at the John Bidwell Elementary School in south Sacramento catch fire around 2:00 p.m.
"I was going to run back to the house to get a pitcher to put it out," said Courtney Thomas. "By the time we came back, it was already up in black flames."
Thomas told CBS13 that it appeared that a few kids set fire to the playground's bark, which covers the ground underneath the play structures.
None of the cameras at the school were pointed at the playground, but some cameras did catch a glimpse of three kids running away from the blaze, and authorities have confirmed that at least two of those kids were caught and cited for the fire.
At around 3:44 p.m., another fire began in Natomas, at the Hazel Straw Elementary playground. There are no reports of witnesses or surveillance to that incident, but investigators do not believe the fires are related. The schools are several miles apart, and suspects for the fires are not likely to be old enough to drive.
The damage from the two fires could reach into the thousands, and authorities have noted that in certain cases, the parents of the instigators can be liable for the damage.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)