Two boys are accused of setting a blaze that killed two Porterville firefighters and destroyed the city's main library.

The Porterville City Library fire was reported at 4 p.m. and wasn't extinguished until Wednesday morning. Dozens of local and state fire fighting agencies responded to the deadly fire.

Porterville detectives were expected to deliver a police report to the Tulare County District Attorney's Office on Thursday, according to Police Chief Eric Kroutil.

"Our folks will be working very closing with (prosecutors)," Kroutil said. "It's very challenging... There are very strict limitations on how we can question juveniles."

Detectives will also meet with prosecutors to discuss what steps they can take going forward.

"Please bear with me as I navigate this in the best, most ethical way that I can," said Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward. "Always giving priority to preserving the integrity of the process and any potential prosecution of a case."

The 13-year-old boys could face arson and manslaughter charges. Manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 11 years in prison. However, manslaughter sentences vary greatly depending on the charges.

Kroutil said the investigation is ongoing, but few details have been released.

Tulare County Fire Capt. Joe Rosa is leading the investigation. Rosa has investigated dozens of arson cases across the county and many of his investigations have led to convictions.

Fire Capt. Raymond Figueroa, 35, died Tuesday night. He started with the department in 2007. Firefighter Patrick Jones, 25, body was found in the rubble Wednesday night, according to officials. He’s been with the department since 2017.

Many in the community are wondering what will happen to the suspects and, if convicted, what consequences they might face.

"Juveniles are extremely protected," Kroutil said. "In my opinion, rightful so."

Ward addressed the public on Wednesday regarding limits on charging juveniles as adults in California.

'We are a strong community':What does the loss of Porterville library mean?

Ward asked the public for their "understanding" and "patience."

"The office of the district attorney will be constrained today, and even more so in the future from sharing very much with the public," he said. "There are significant limitations when it comes to what we can reveal."

In the juvenile justice system, records, including names, are sealed and unavailable for public view.

In California, children under 14 can't be tried as adults, even if they are charged with serious and violent felonies, such as manslaughter.

If the suspects were 17, they could be tried as adults, Kroutil said.

"They would face a lengthy prison sentence," he said. "That's not going to happen in this case."

Together, Proposition 57 and Senate Bill 1391 limited the age a prosecutor can try a juvenile as an adult for violent offenses to 16.

Additionally, juvenile offenders can't serve a prison sentence after 25 years old. Current law actually dropped that age to 23, Ward said.

"I'm certain this information may be met with outrage. This is why myself and many DAs across the state were against these changes to the law," Ward said. "Justice reform holds consequences. Today, we may well be witnesses to it."

In 2016, Ward and Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar co-authored an editorial published in Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advanced Register opposing Prop 57.

"Victims of crime generally have two questions for a deputy district attorney, how many times will I have to come to court and when is he/she going to get out? If Prop 57 passes, no district attorney in the state will be able to answer that second question by relying on what sentence the judge has imposed."

Sentences rely heavily on what the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation recommends and a defendant’s participation in programs.

More reform could be on the way, too.

California Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) introduced Senate Bill 889, which would raise the age at which young people in California are automatically tried as adults to 20 years old. Under the bill, 18- and 19-year-olds would be treated as juveniles in criminal cases.

“When teenagers make serious mistakes and commit crimes, state prison is not the answer. Processing teenagers through the juvenile justice system will help ensure they receive the appropriate education, counseling, treatment, and rehabilitation services necessary to achieve real public safety outcomes,” Skinner said late last month.

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Sheyanne Romero covers Tulare County public safety, local government and business for the Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register newspapers. Follow her on Twitter @sheyanne_VTD. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today.