Crime & Safety

Booking Photo Released of Teen Charged with Misdemeanor for Starting School Fire

Eddie Ray Thornton III, 18, "is not an arsonist, he's an idiot who started a fire that got away from him," Deputy District Attorney Mike Mayman said Friday afternoon.

A booking photo was released Friday afternoon of the teenager who admitted starting the School Fire on Wednesday in Banning.

Eddie Ray Thornton III, 18, admitted he started a small campfire, which grew, and he tried to put it out, Deputy District Attorney Mike Mayman said.

"He is not an arsonist, he is an idiot who started a fire that got away from him," Mayman said. "Arson is setting a fire with intent to burn and he did not do that."

Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mayman said he filed criminal charges in the 2006 Esperanza Fire that killed five U.S. Forest Service firefighters above Cabazon, and he said he understands Pass area residents' concerns about potential arson in any fire.

"I filed on the 2006 fire that burned up 63 square miles of the Pass, the Oyler case, so I know how quickly any fire can spread in that area," Mayman said.

Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Any fire can quickly grow to that size when the winds are blowing," Mayman said. "In this case Cal Fire knocked the fire down before it got big. But it's understandable when people are concerned about any fire in the Pass."

The October 2006 Esperanza Fire resulted in the deaths of the crew assigned to USFS Engine 57, and Raymond Lee Oyler was convicted of five counts of murder in March 2009.

The School Fire was reported just after 2 p.m. Wednesday, and it scorched about 40 acres on the north edge of Banning before hill-climbing firefighters, helicopter and tanker pilots knocked down most of the flames.

"While the fire was relatively small in size, it burned in a historically severe fire hazard area and had the potential of burning several hundred acres," a Cal Fire statement released Friday said. "Quick efforts by ground and air support stopped the forward spread shortly after 5 p.m. and fully contained the fire at 8 p.m."

No evacuations were necessary, though some residential streets were closed during the most intense hours of the fire fight.

The fire burned near a cemetery but did not damage the grounds, Cal Fire Capt. Bret Cerini said Wednesday evening near the smoldering burned areas. More than 260 firefighters and personnel were assigned to the blaze at its height, Cerini said.

Cal Fire arrested Thornton Wednesday evening and had him booked on a felony charge of unlawfully causing a fire on forest land, according to Cal Fire and inmate records.

Mayman said Friday he filed a misdemeanor count of negligently causing a fire because Thornton tried to put the fire out, called 911, and cooperated with authorities.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.