Firefighters spent 22 hours combating the April 6 blaze at The Hamlets, which caused $10 million in damage.

Three teens who set a fire causing around $10 million in damage were sentenced Tuesday in Penticton Provincial Court.

The two youths involved in the fire destroying The Hamlets on April 6 were sentenced to two years plus probation while Meagan Willis, 18, was handed a three-year sentence.

“You all have equal responsibility in the fires and it does not matter who lit the first match, it does not make them more or less responsible. You all contributed to the fire,” said Judge Anne Wallace during the sentencing on Tuesday.

The self-proclaimed “pyros” set fire to a building under construction on Edmonton Avenue and then the youngest of the three called 9-1-1 on a cell phone borrowed from a nearby resident. They then headed to The Hamlets and started a devastating blaze that would take firefighters 22 hours to extinguish.

The trio’s defence counsel tried to paint a much different picture than that of their last appearance at court, in which the Crown counsel Nashina Devji said the group displayed cavalier attitudes towards the fires that affected the whole community on economic, physical and emotional levels.

The youngest of the fire starters, who had three previous convictions of minor assaults, wiped away his tears with the sleeves of his sweatshirt on Tuesday morning while listening to his assessment report. The court was told of how he was taken away from his teen mother and how his father, who was described as a very violent man, threatened his son’s life. The other youth, who turns 17 this week, had just as turbulent an upbringing, bouncing around 18 different foster care situations and had a long list of different psychological and behavioural problems.

Willis, the only adult charged, was described as an immature person and a follower but, ironically, had been a volunteer with seniors in the community at places just like The Hamlets. She stood in court reading a letter thanking the fire department and RCMP and apologizing to everyone who was affected by the fire including the families, future residents of The Hamlets and the construction workers who lost their tools in the devastation.

“I will take this as a lesson learned but not to be forgotten,” she said.

Judge Wallace heard the emotional apologies from each of the offenders but could not forget the fact that they had started the city’s largest ever structure fire. She said even though they all expressed remorse now, their original interviews with RCMP showed a different attitude which Wallace said was “very disturbing.”

The judge said the fires appeared to be premeditated and none of the arsonists had originally shown remorse. The boys had been overheard boasting about what they had done while they were in custody and the older youth was found with detailed plans about how they could start more fires and commit robberies. All three were described as having a fascination with fire.

While reviewing the statements given by the youngest of the offenders, Wallace said they had also been responsible for a number of fires including one at a high school, the yacht club and several dumpster fires around town. The 15-year-old also said in the statements that he had three rules when it came to fire: that you do it, no one gets hurt and no one gets left behind.

“This was a very serious matter and would have been made even worse had people been killed. The consequences reached so far into this community,” said Wallace to the three offenders.

Luckily, the blaze that destroyed the nearly completed Hamlets facility didn’t cause any serious injuries, although some first responders did suffer minor injuries while fighting the fire.

Fire chief Wayne Williams said the fire took all their resources to extinguish, including some help from nearby departments. He said the judge had tough decisions to make in this case and that he was “impressed” with the letter that Willis read aloud in court thanking everyone and apologizing.

“I hope in the end of this that both boys and Meagan get the help they really need,” said Williams

The two youths will be required, as part of their rehabilitation, to take part of the Juvenile Fire Setter Intervention Program. The course is intended to teach youth about the damaging consequences of playing with fire. They also were recommended to not be in possession of an incendiaries and to not be in contact with one another. The youngest of the three will serve an additional 30 days concurrent for his breach of probation from a prior conviction.

Willis will serve her time at the Alouette River Correctional Centre in Maple Ridge and as part of her probation is not allowed contact with the others and will also have 30 hours of community service, which is to be served working with seniors.