Is it possible the kids were trying to create a fire break? If close to the school, that’s a possibility, since it really is one of the best ways to save a building that’s in the path of a fire. Not saying they really ought to be doing that on their own, but in a situation where every media outlet is saying there are no more fire trucks or personnel available to respond to additional locations, I can see where some high school kids might decide to try to be heroes and handle the situation themselves.
If they were doing it where people could see them, either they were well-intentioned and thought they prove it if challenged, or they were volunteering to spend many many years in prison — because if they could be seen, they could be photographed, and teenagers are pretty highly aware of that these days, since they all carry phones with cameras.
Scripps Ranch being evacuated.
I’d like to buy into your notion about those teens trying to do something right, but there are long odds against finding teens with the basic awareness of what a back fire is, some general idea how to set one, and the combination of personal initiative, community-mindedness, and the outright cojones to actually go DO it.
Maybe — just MAYBE — you’re right, and I’ll just hope that you are, until/unless future input proves otherwise. In the middle of a disaster like this, I’m happy to extend the benefit of the doubt to anyone who even LOOKS like they may be trying to do something effective to help.