Lincoln Police and Lincoln Fire and Rescue were called to the First Evangelical Covenant Church at 60th and L Street for a fire around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 2nd. Police determined that a 13 year old boy had gone into a restroom and set a box of tissues on fire inside the trash can. Adults quickly called LFR who put the fire out with minimal damage.
Fire inspectors working with officers agreed the boy would be referred for deliberate or negligent burning. He was then released to his mother.
The boy was also enrolled in the Fire Inspection Bureau’s Junior Fire Starters Intervention Program.
LFR’s Nancy Crist says, “Our culture has moved to really try to educate and refer people who may have a mental illness. Tet them the help they need. Basically a kid is court ordered to go see the Inspection Bureau investigators and have a conversation. The usually have an hour of education and then usually are assigned to write a paper of some kind.”
Crist says children have what they need so they can make informed decisions moving forward so they can make better decisions.