Boy accused of starting Willow fire placed on house arrest pending psychological evaluation

The boy accused of starting the Willow fire that scorched nearly 6,000 acres and prompted evacuations near North Fork was placed on electronic monitoring Wednesday and released to his mother’s custody, the Madera County District Attorney’s office reported.

The boy, who has not been identified due to his young age, will be psychologically evaluated and must return to court for a review hearing on Sept. 3. He may not leave his home except to attend school and counseling appointments until then.

The Willow fire started on July 25 and burned until mid-August. Its cost was estimated at $18.3 million.

This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 11:42 AM with the headline "Boy accused of starting Willow fire placed on house arrest pending psychological evaluation."