Fireworks spark Provo canyon fire | The Salt Lake Tribune

Crime • Two teens playing with fireworks could face criminal and civil charges.

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Two teenage boys are suspected of starting a 12-acre fire Friday near Rock Canyon in Provo.

Dispatchers first got calls about the fire burning on the mountainside north of Rock Canyon shortly after 4 p.m. on Friday. Firefighters from Provo, Utah County and the Lone Peaks Hotshots aggressively battled the blaze until it was fully contained by about 9 p.m., said Provo Fire Marshal Lynn Schofield.

Two helicopters and a single-engine tanker also aided the fire-fighting effort.

Investigators found that two teens playing with fireworks in the foothills of the mountains started the fire, Schofield said. The two were questioned and released to their parents, and the case will be screened for charges next week.

Fireworks are always illegal in the Provo foothills, even on July 4 or Pioneer Day. Besides the potential criminal charges, there could also be civil charges, since the policy of having people pay for the cost of fires they start is still in effect, Schofield said.

"This was a poor choice," Schofield said.

Michael McFall