I always talk in "aiport city code" talk. It's San Diego, sorry.

at 1:52 on October 31, 2007, EDT.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - Authorities say a boy playing with matches started a fire in northern Los Angeles County that consumed more than 150 square kilometres and destroyed 21 homes last week.

Sheriff's Sgt. Diane Hecht says the boy, whose name and age were not released, was interviewed a day after the Buckweed Fire was sparked October 21. Hecht says the boy was released to his parents and the case will be presented to the district attorney's office.

The 155-square-kilometre fire began in an area near Agua Dulce and quickly spread by fierce desert winds.

It was among more than a dozen major wildfires that killed 14 people, destroyed some 2,100 homes and blackened 2,095 square kilometres from Los Angeles to the Mexican border.

Authorities arrested five people for arson during that period but none has been linked to any of the major blazes.

They said an arsonist also set a destructive wildfire in Orange County that blackened 115 square kilometres and destroyed 16 homes. Investigators believe the blaze was deliberately set because they found two ignition points within a short distance - a common sign of arson.

Authorities were seeking the driver of a white Ford F-150 pickup truck spotted in a canyon area around the time the fire broke out. They said they wanted to talk with the driver but stopped short of calling the person a suspect.

Officials offered a $285,000 reward to anyone with information that will lead to an arrest and conviction.

Firefighters had surrounded all but four of the blazes late Tuesday and the remaining ones were more than 90-per-cent contained.

Now we know why reaper goes skydiving - a bit of safe and gentle relaxation!

Reaper - I was reading that there are lots of C130s and other fire fighting aircraft which can't be deployed because no-one got around to inspecting and licencing new water storage tanks on board. So all through this nightmare they've been sitting on the ground. Is that true?

LA, this boy will need you!!!

P2, Yes, there is a lot of finger pointing going on right now by a lot of really pissed off people.
The air attack needs a trained "crew chief" from the forest service or cal fire to be on board, and the aircraft needed inspected.
This has all become a political football, as usual.
The bottom line is...
In Rancho Bernardo, the northern most part of San Diego,It was recommended 4 years ago to build 22 new fire stations. DENIED

In the mountains, Running Springs, Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, etc. they predicted a mega-storm of fire, due to the bark beetle infestation that killed millions of trees. Not much water and fire protection up there either.

In LA County, as the rest of SoCal, there are so many dry, fuel laden areas with homes built next to them it's almost impossible to stop a fire in 80 mph winds.

This may all happen again this weekend again, as the Santa Ana winds are returning on Friday...stay tuned.

TQ - sad, but true...

reaper, all I can hear is Steely Dan.... Here come those Santa Ana winds again.....

And what about

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=THH0M3MF2TDZZQFIQMGCFF4AVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2007/10/31/wfires131.xml

One of the major blazes was started deliberately by a kid!

And some others by adults, they even caught a guy in the mountains trying to burn down his own house to collect. That kid had no clue what was to happen, and I'm sure many of us lit stuff on fire when we were that age...