L.A. arson wave grows to about 40 fires; most since 1992 riots

LA Times
January 2, 2012

With about 40 arson fires across Los Angeles in the last three days, the wave of intentional blazes that started in Hollywood on Friday is the worst since the 1992 riots, officials said.

Authorities said they remained unsure whether the fires were the work of one arsonist or several people, perhaps including copycats. Although the majority of the fires have occurred in the Hollywood area, some also were reported in the San Fernando Valley, Westside and as far south as Lennox near the 105 Freeway.

At least four new fires were reported on New Year’s Eve, including one caught on tape at the Hollywood & Highland shopping center on Hollywood Boulevard.

Firefighters responded after 7 p.m. to a report that a car inside the Hollywood & Highland parking deck was on fire, said Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Brian Humphrey. By the time they arrived, the fire was out, but a suspect’s image may have been captured by one of the structure’s video cameras. Police were broadcasting a description of a white man in his mid-30s with a receding hairline and a ponytail.

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