Youngsters start fire in olive tree at Woodbury Park

CRAIG — Law enforcement and firefighters kicked off a busy weekend Friday with a report that a tree was on fire in Craig’s Woodbury Park.

Craig Fire Rescue arrived to find a Russian olive tree in flames to the west of the baseball fields next to a storage unit owned by the city of Craig, said Batallion Chief Troy Hampton. The fire spread through some grass and wooden pallets and burned the side of the storage unit before firefighters extinguished it.

Craig Police Department also responded and learned that two boys, age 10 and 12, had been playing with a lighter when the tree caught fire. The boys were on the scene with a parent of one; the other boy’s parents were also called.

The storage shed belonging to the city housed paint and ATV equipment, Hampton said. Craig Parks & Recreation officials were also on scene.

To make restitution for the property damage caused by the fire, the boys will pick up trash and take classes about fire safety and prevention, according to police notes.