Bynes hospitalized after allegedly starting fire

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Actress Amanda Bynes was hospitalized for a mental health evaluation after deputies said she started a small fire in the driveway of a home in Southern California.

Deputies responding to a 911 call Monday night found Bynes, 27, standing next to the flames in the city of Thousand Oaks, according to Ventura County sheriff’s Capt. Don Aguilar.

The deputies determined she met the criteria for a mental health hold and took her into custody. She can be held for up to 72 hours of observation.

No charges were filed, Aguilar said.

Richard Hutton and David Feldman, who are listed as Bynes’ attorneys in industry databases, refused to comment Tuesday.

The former Nickelodeon actress has had several run-ins with the law in California. In December, the “Hairspray” star resolved a misdemeanor hit-and-run case after entering into a civil settlement with other drivers. She was charged last fall with driving on a suspended license after it was temporarily taken away from her following two hit-and-run cases where she was accused of leaving the scene without providing proper information. She has also pleaded not guilty to drunken driving in a separate case.

Earlier this month Bynes appeared in a New York court on allegations that she chucked a marijuana bong out the window of her 36th-floor Manhattan apartment.

She also has taken to social media to criticize a host of celebrities recently.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s Bynes was one of the hottest actors on children’s TV.

Beginning in 2000, she won four consecutive Kids Choice Awards for best television actress, the first for her role in the ensemble kids comedy-variety show “All That” and the others for her starring vehicle “The Amanda Show.” She also received Kids Choice Awards for best movie actress awards in 2003 and 2004 for the films “Big Fat Liar” and “What A Girl Wants.” Bynes, who grew up in Thousand Oaks, also starred in the popular television series “What I Like About You,” which aired from 2002 to 2006, and several TV movies before her career began to decline.