Two of the three youngsters nabbed by police for starting a devastating fire in the North End returned to the scene one day later to finish the job, a veteran arson investigator said Wednesday.
Det. Sgt. Derrick Todoruk of the arson strike force said that three boys - aged six, seven and nine - were apprehended, cautioned and returned to their parents shortly after the fire at 438 Alfred Ave. Monday evening.
A May 5 fire at 438 Alfred Ave. caused $170,000 in damage to the vacant building.
Less than 18 hours later, however, the six-year-old and seven-year-old were back at the vacant home trying to set it on fire again.
Todoruk said neighbours called police who caught the boys before any more damage was done.
Part of the problem, said Todoruk, is that often these kids have little supervision. He described some as "habitually missing," which means their behaviours often go unchecked, leaving them free to start fires at will.
"There are a few, and they are repeaters -- it's hard to keep up... apparently the nine-year-old got the message," Todoruk said.
The fire caused $170,000 in damage to the vacant home. There were no injuries.
It's believed the blaze was started by the youngsters using matches or a cigarette lighter.
Police also said Wednesday that two other boys -- this time aged five and seven -- were caught after a garbage bin on Ellen Street was set alight last Friday. They also were cautioned and returned to their guardians.
Arson investigators determined that the five-year-old was not an active participant.
"It was obvious here this one had trouble even flicking the lighter," Todoruk said.
Todoruk added there is concern that the boy will pick up the fire bug as he gets older.
"When they get in groups, that's when they get in trouble," he said.
While police said Wednesday that the city's arson rates are on par with previous years, already in 2008, 24 children under age 12 have been apprehended by police for setting fires -- nine taking place last month alone.
In April, the Free Press reported that a 10-year-old boy cautioned for setting 32 fires -- including a $100,000 blaze in the North End -- told investigators he had plans to set 100 more over the next year.
Including re-involved youth, police have made more than 1,300 such apprehensions since 1999.
Youths under the age of 12 cannot be charged with a criminal offence.
All five of the boys involved in the two most recent fires were referred to the Youth Firestop program, an intervention program that attempts to stop fire-setters from injuring themselves, reduce property damage and curb fire-setting behaviour.
Children are categorized by the degree of their behaviour, from little to extreme.
But police and those who run the program say the key to success is a parent's level of involvement.
In the case of the boys involved in the Alfred Avenue fire, Todoruk indicated their parents knew about the program and that their kids were being referred to it by police, but it didn't stop two of them from returning less than a day later to strike again.
"Our biggest roadblock at times is that parents don't want to believe their kids are capable of behaviour like this... If we can get co-operation, then we can deal with it through education," he said.
Brandy Maslowski, a public education officer and co-ordinator for Youth Firestop, said the program has 112 closed or pending files so far this year, slightly less than par from last year's record level of nearly 300.
Maslowski said the majority of the youths in the program are between eight and 12 years old.
Maslowski said sometimes parents don't want to believe their children are able to do the things they're accused of doing, and wished more of them came to appointments with their kids.
"They astonish you every day in wonderful ways -- they can astonish you in other ways as well," she said.
Todoruk said in some cases, habitual firebugs should be locked up for their safety and the safety of the public while attempts to educate them are made.
"What we're worried about are the ones Youth Firestop doesn't get through to... there's no secure facility for (them)," he said.
"We've seen kids we've taken home walk in through the front door and then go straight out the back."
james.turner@freepress.mb.ca
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