Locals reflect on fire evacuations in Lemoore after 2 teens arrested for arson
LEMOORE, Calif. (KFSN) -- A suitcase in hand with some of Camille Turpin's important items.
Her sister Cynthia is helping Camille return to her home after a frightening Tuesday afternoon, when she rushed out due to a fire burning nearby.
"And we ran out and all we could see was plumes of smoke, and the first thing I thought was 'oh no, not again, after the 2012 fire," says Camille, who has lived in her Lemoore home for almost 50 years.
Lemoore Police say two teenagers lit a firework that ignited the flames.
The flying embers jumped Highway 198 and then sparked six different fires across the town.
"I just kept thinking, boy, if the winds just shift, we are done. Once the fire would have hit the eucalyptus trees behind my house, that's it. It's all over," recalls Camille.
RELATED: 2 kids arrested for arson after setting off firework on grass in Lemoore, police say
Thanks to a detective in the area who saw the teens running out of the field with a plume of smoke behind them, the 14-year-olds were arrested on felony arson charges.
"Without him being at the right place at the right time, this could have caused a lot more damage, could've lost lives so thank goodness for his quick thinking and being in the right spot to allocate resources to the right areas," says Lemoore Police Officer, Steven McPherson.
Three separate structures were burned and a semi-truck hauling hay on the highway caught fire.
Police say with the dry conditions and gusty winds, the blaze could have gotten out of control very quickly.
"It was just an overall team effort and we are just so thankful it didn't end up any worse than this," says Officer McPherson.
Both sisters, Camille and Cynthia, say they are thankful that Tuesday's situation was under control.
As for those two teens, the District Attorney's office is waiting for the report from probations to review it.
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