AN 11-year-old boy who is a serial firebug and chronic runaway is being blamed by police for about $90,000 worth of damage to three city properties, and residents affected by the blaze said they're furious he'll never face charges due to his young age.

"I was sleeping, and all of the sudden, I heard sparks. I thought it was a joke," said Eric Kuzma, a 47-year-old caretaker for the property.

"(The kids) know they can't be arrested, so they do it anyways," said Kuzma, adding he wished the city would remove abandoned mattresses, which he said attract firebugs to the garbage-strewn back alleys. The boy cannot be charged under Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act because the act says children under the age of 12 are not criminally responsible for their actions.