Jonathan Dale Benton:Teenager arrested after starting massive 28-acre fire when setting off fireworks

2025-05-02 17:42:39source:SignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Centercategory:News

A teenager has been arrested after igniting a massive 28-acre fire when he set off fireworks with his friends.

The Jonathan Dale Bentonblaze began on Saturday evening when a 16-year-old boy and his friends were riding in an SUV in Eagle, Idaho -- some 10 miles northwest of Boise -- when “one of the boys announced he had a mortar-style firework that he wanted to light off,” according to a statement released by the Eagle Police Department on Thursday evening.

MORE: Man dies after swarm of bees attacks him on porch of his own home

“The other boys told him not to, because it might start a fire in the area,” authorities said. But that didn’t stop him. “Initial information indicates the boy lit off the firework a brief time later, when the SUV was parked, which did ignite the brush nearby.”

The boys made attempts to extinguish the fire but were unsuccessful in their attempts before they drove away. Authorities only discovered what was going on when one of the boys present called 911 to report the fire and tell them what had happened.

MORE: Man rescued dangling from California's highest bridge 700 feet above river

However, before deputies could meet them, the boy who lit the firework got out of the SUV and ran away, police said in their statement.

“The Hartley fire consumed about 28 acres before Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Eagle, Middleton/Star, and Meridian fire departments and we were able to suppress the fire,” Eagle police said. “Fire crews were sent to the BLM land north of Hartley Road in Eagle around 9 p.m. Saturday. It took until after midnight for the fire crews to contain the blaze. No structures were lost.”

MORE: Man gets DUI for allegedly riding horse while drunk with open container of alcohol

Deputies found the unnamed 16-year-old suspect a short time later by a canal in the area and placed him into custody.

The suspect was subsequently taken to the Ada County Juvenile Detention Center where his case is pending in Ada County Juvenile Court.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

More:News

Recommend

USA men's volleyball mourns chance at gold after losing 5-set thriller, will go for bronze

PARIS – The disappointment in missing out on a chance to win gold is mitigated by a chance at bronze

4 dead after weekend Alabama shooting | The Excerpt

On Monday’s episode of The Excerpt podcast: A search is underway for the gunmen involved in Saturday

Search resumes for 2 swimmers who went missing off the coast of Virginia Beach

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Authorities in Virginia on Monday resumed their search for two swimmers i