LAFD asks for public's help to catch arsonist #CaFire #CaArson

Sunday, January 1, 2012

LAFD asks for public's help to catch arsonist #CaFire #CaArson

Los Angeles Fire officials held a press conference to update the public on the latest on the arson fires around the Hollywood area.

West Hollywood — Los Angeles County firefighters extinguished a suspicious car fire Saturday night in a carport on North Sweetzer Avenue in West Hollywood. The carport is not attached to a building
Photo: Ann Cusack - LA Times

Six more fires erupted on Saturday night, bringing the total to 40 reported fires spanning from early Friday morning to late Saturday night.

Fire officials say an alert citizen's tip could be key in cracking an arson rampage that for two nights has had firefighters scrambling to douse more than 35 suspected arson fires around Los Angeles.

As residents head out to New Year's Eve parties or stay home to clank pots, they should be on alert for anyone acting suspiciously, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Someone lurking near cars in dark clothing or making strange sounds, such as breaking glass, should be reported to law enforcement, he said.

Don't discount strange behavior just because it's happening at home, Humphrey said.

"We believe that someone knows something, but they just don’t realize it’s related to these fires,'' he said. "It could be someone coming home late at night wearing abnormally dark clothing, with visible burns and smelling like an accelerant."
Authorities warn that people should not confront a suspected arsonist but call 911 immediately. Tipsters also can report abnormal behavior to (800) 222-TIPS.

"Whoever is doing this is committing a felony,'' Humphrey said. "There is reason for us to believe an arsonist will have little regard for the lives of others."

He said the department's 18 arson investigators did interviews and sifted through clues Saturday. They have been joined by investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, neighboring police and fire bureaus and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Early Friday morning, 21 fires were started in a relatively small area around Hollywood and West Hollywood. On Friday night and Saturday morning, 17 more fires were reported. They were similar to the ones in the Hollywood area, but were spread out over a much larger area.
California Fire News 2011

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Sunday, January 1, 2012