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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A central Idaho wildfire that caused 20 homes to be evacuated was started by an 18-year-old man lighting fireworks on private property, according to the Blaine County Sheriff's office.
No charges have been filed but an investigation is ongoing, said Holly Carter with the Blaine County Sheriff's office. The office has not yet released the man's name.
Officials say the teenager confessed to causing the 728-acre Colorado Gulch Fire —which started last Sunday— after investigators found fireworks where the blaze first sparked. After igniting on private property, the fire jumped to public land surrounding the area. Within 24 hours, sheriff officials had issued mandatory evacuation orders for 20 homes.
The evacuations have since been lifted, largely due to the crews' successful suppression efforts of the 1.1-square mile wildfire, but now officials must determine if the man in question should be charged.
The case has an extra layer of complexity because the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is also involved, Carter said.
"There is a criminal and civil aspect to consider," she said. "But no determination has been made and we're not going to release his name until they make a determination."
Fireworks are legal on private property in Blaine County but banned on all Idaho public lands. That means federal investigators must determine if the man should be charged for the BLM's suppression costs.
"If a fire starts on private land and it spreads to public land, the person could be held for the costs of the fire if negligence is proven," said Heather Tiel-Nelson, spokeswoman for the BLM Twin Falls district.
At least 8.6 square miles, have gone up in flames because of human activity this year on Idaho BLM and U.S. Forest Service land. Another nearly 6.1 square miles are under investigation because of unknown but likely human causes.
Last year, more than half of all wildfires on Idaho's BLM land were started by people with fireworks, shooting exploding targets or riding all-terrain vehicles through dry grass.
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