EAGLE, Idaho — Detectives with the Ada County Sheriff's Office (ACSO) identified four teenagers who they say are responsible for starting a grass fire with fireworks last week.
The teens — a 15-year-old girl, one 15-year-old boy and two 16-year-old boys — were setting off aerial fireworks near the trails at the Eagle Sports Complex around 4:30 p.m., according to a news release. A man in the area saw what they were doing and told them to stop and leave.
Police say they then moved a short distance away to Goose Creek Road and lit off more fireworks, which caught the grass on fire. They then took off without trying to put it out.
Related: Resident on Hill Road details community effort to save homes from Goose Fire
Detectives were able to identify the teens through tips from the public, according to the release. They gathered evidence, talked to the teens involved and have sent the information to the Ada County Prosecutor's Office, who will determine if criminal charges will be filed.
The first calls into Ada County dispatch reporting the fire came in right before 5 p.m. on October 7. The fire burned over 400 acres and one outbuilding by the time firefighters controlled and contained it.
Eagle Fire was the first on the scene, joined by Bureau of Land Management, Boise and Meridian Fire crews. The fire spread towards homes in the Horseshoe Bend and W. Hill Road area. The wind then pushed the fire towards home on Seamans Gulch Road.
Related: Eagle trail supervisor details impact of Goose Fire near bike park
Fire crews had 30 trucks and a helicopter working on the fire at one point. Residents of about a dozen homes were asked to evacuate and officials with the Red Cross and the Boise School District were preparing to open Riverglen Junior High School as an emergency shelter.
According to Idaho Code 18-7004, anyone who "carelessly lights prairie land on fire and leaves without totally extinguishing the blaze is guilty of a misdemeanor."
The active fire was knocked down by around 8:30 p.m. Residents asked to leave were let back into the neighborhood a short time later.
