For many, the idea of losing their home in one, uncontrollable instant is heartbreaking — yet that can be the brutal reality of arson.

For the thousands of families in Southern California, it will be difficult to ease the devastation of seeing their homes burned to the ground, especially since some of the fires were not an act of nature, but of man.

A teenage boy recently admitted to starting the Buckweed fire, north of Los Angeles. And detectives believe an arsonist was responsible for the destructive wildfire in Orange County. Hundreds were forced to evacuate their homes on the Big Island after thousands of acres burned in fires that authorities believe were the work of arsonists. Though smaller in scale, the fire was no less traumatic for those who feared losing their homes, and their lives.

If anything is to be learned, it is the serious nature of arson, and that strict penalties must be enforced.

Fortunately, Gov. Linda Lingle signed two bills last year, one of which established the state's first arson law. The other set penalties for those who set brush fires that burn 10,000 square feet or more, and included a provision for parents to pay the cost of fires set by minors.

The law has four degrees of violations, with the penalties depending on the severity of the damage. First-degree arson involves damage exceeding $20,000; second-degree, $1,500; and third-degree, $500 or more. First- through-third-degree arson carry prison terms ranging from 20 years and fines up to $50,000.

It only takes one irresponsible act to disrupt thousands of lives. To send a message that arson will not be tolerated, the state must continue to enforce its new law and hold those responsible accountable for their ruthless actions.