2 teens arrested in brush fire that destroyed several homes in Riverside neighborhood

Two 16-year-olds have been arrested in connection with a brush fire that destroyed several homes in a Riverside neighborhood. Officials said the blaze was sparked by illegal fireworks.

A third 16-year-old was deemed a suspect, but an arrest is pending.

The Hawarden Fire erupted just before 1:40 p.m. on July 21. The blaze, which grew to nearly 600 acres and destroyed seven homes, was contained after a few days but caused millions of dollars in damage.

"This fire was caused by illegal use of fireworks," Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said during a news briefing at City Hall Thursday afternoon. "All fireworks are illegal in our city for a reason."

The defendants, whose names were not released, are all 16-year-old juveniles from the area. Two were taken into custody without incident and booked into Riverside Juvenile Hall, but the third is pending arrest, Riverside police Chief Larry Gonzalez said.

All of the teens are charged with 27 counts of willful or malicious arson to property, he said.

"The criminal investigation into the Hawarden Fire began immediately, and illegal fireworks were identified as the source," Gonzalez said. "We worked diligently to identify the three suspects. Surveillance video captured the three individuals lighting fireworks in a field."

A pickup truck belonging to one of the youths became evidence used to track down that defendant, culminating in identification of his two alleged cohorts, according to the chief.

Further details on the suspects were not released due to the suspects' ages.

City News Service contributed to this report.