3 boys charged with arson in Ga. fire

Three boys ages 7, 10 and 11 are accused of burglarizing a welding company and using materials they stole to start a brush fire that destroyed several homes in a retirement community, a state fire official said Tuesday.

The boys were arrested late Monday and charged with burglary and first-degree arson, said Glenn Allen, a spokesman for Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John Oxendine.

Investigators would not discuss a possible motive. The boys were identified following an undisclosed tip, Allen said.

Sunday's fire destroyed four homes at Village Place, an 83-home subdivision, and damaged six others. It took about 40 firefighters to bring the blaze under control. One firefighter and a resident were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Allen would not give more details about the burglary at a nearby welding company or the stolen items.

The boys were expected to appear in juvenile court Tuesday. Their names were not released because of their ages.