Arson Investigators in Riverside were looking for four teenagers on Sunday, April 13, after witnesses reported seeing high school-age boys near where a small brush fire burned the night before.
The fire was reported at 11:12 p.m. Saturday at Sycamore Highlands Park at 5777 Fair Isle Drive, the Riverside Fire Department said in a news release.
“Several witnesses in the park reported four males high school age in the park lighting off fireworks into the canyon,” the release said.
They described the boys’ car, and when a battalion chief approached it, the car sped away with its headlights off, the release said. A description was provided to the police.
Investigators did not find any remnants of fireworks.
The fire was held to a quarter acre. No one was reported injured.
No arrests had been announced Sunday.
The city has taken an increasingly hard line against fireworks.
In late March, the City Council approved a plan to use drones to detect fireworks, which are illegal in the city in all forms except for the two city-run shows staged every July 4.
In 2024, the fine for those caught using illegal fireworks increased to $1,500. Since then, the city has worked on fireworks education and enforcement campaigns.
In September, two 16-year-old boys were arrested on suspicion of setting off fireworks that led to the Hawarden fire that destroyed six homes and other property.
Riverside residents can report fireworks activity anonymously by calling 951-826-5311 or using the city’s 311 mobile app.