Three South Hall juveniles suspected with intentionally starting fires near their subdivision are being held in the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center.

Hall County Fire Services, in working with the Hall County Sheriff's Office, has charged two 16-year-olds and one 15-year-old with third-degree arson and reckless conduct, Fire Chief David Kimbrell said.

The arrests were made after the fire department had received a couple "calls of trash, basically cardboard and paper, burning in the middle of the road" at Friendship Road and Windgate Drive, Kimbrell said.

"What we think they were doing is setting (the fires) to distract somebody to try to possibly cause them to wreck or run off the road or something - a prank motive type of thing," Kimbrell said.

The chief added, "It's up to the juvenile officials as to whether they keep them or remand them to the custody of their parents."

No other details were immediately available.