what if an arsonist started all these California fires?

[antiimperialist]

This is only speculation from my part. I see that a suspected arsonist was killed last night in CA after being found in the woods near San Bernardino, CA. The area where he was found was in the path of the fire.

"They thought there could be the possibility that he's an arsonist," Patterson (from the Police Dept. said). The area "is in the path of the fire."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/breakingnews/2007/10/a-suspected-ars.html

[robinlynne]

1. One of the fires was caused by an arsonist.

[BeyondGeography]

2. The Irvine fire was arson, right?

[AndyA]

3. I heard that the fires were caused by downed power lines, blown down by the wind,

and arsonists.

Not sure which fires were caused by what. It's very sad.

[kestrel91316]

9. The Malibu fire was caused by wind blowing power lines down.

The Magic Mountain fire was caused by sparks from welding by a construction crew. Lake Arrowhead was arson, IIRC - guy's been arrested.

[monktonman]

4. What if......

[rufus dog]

5. Currently only one is confirmed arson

That is the fire in Orange County, includes Irvine, Foothill Ranch, Portola Hills, Santiago Canyon. Hopefully the get it contained today. Malibu was a downed power line. The San Bernadino/Running Springs/Lake Arrowhead fire has not been confirmed to my knowledge. If the arsonist was caught up in his own fire it would be somewhat ironic. Too many lost houses in that fire, and the San Diego County Fire is by far the worst.

[necso]

6. The halfway-knowledgeable wildfire-arsonist

understands the importance of weather/geography and that multiple fires are harder to deal with.

So some opportunism is to be expected, and multiple arsonists may be attracted by the same opportunity.

We had an arsonist here who always waited for "favorable" winds (he set fires in a distinctive pattern) and when such winds arrived, it was only a question of timing for years.

In a year like this, with really bad fire-weather coming so late (after apparently starting so early), some of these wildfire arsonists may have been jonesing for a good opportunity.

[kestrel91316]

7. A suspected arsonist has been arrested in the Arrowhead fire, I think

I heard on the radio a little while ago - a motorcyclist.

[Parche]

8. Arson Qaeda

:shrug: :shrug: :hi: