Fox News and conservative blogs have been falling all over themselves trying to — forgive the pun — fan the flames of fear by suggesting that the California wildfires were intentionally set by (cue dramatic music) al Qaeda.  Read here and here and here and here and here and… all these.  While evidence suggested arson, nothing other than paranoia suggested that al Qaeda was involved.

So naturally, this comes as no surprise:

A boy playing with matches has confessed to starting a wildfire that destroyed 63 structures near Los Angeles, officials said on Tuesday.

The unidentified youngster, believed to be a preteen, was questioned by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigators on October 22, a day after the Buckweed fire started rampaging across 38,000 acres in the Santa Clarita area, 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

The boy "admitted that he had been playing with matches," said sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore.

It was initially believed that downed power lines had started the fire.

The boy was sent home after confessing, and the District Attorney’s office will consider whether to press charges.

You would think that those who pointed to al Qaeda would have egg on their faces, and maybe exercise more caution before they engaged in Chicken Little the-sky-is-falling speculation and fearmongering.

You would think…

FURTHER THOUGHT:  Is al Qaeda responsible for this, too?