Police: More car set ablaze in LA area; possible link to earlier fires investiga

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Police: More car set ablaze in LA area; possible link to earlier fires

investigated

By R. Blood, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – 39 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Several more cars burned in suspected arson attacks in the

Los Angeles area early Saturday morning, and authorities investigated if they

were connected to nearly two dozen deliberately set blazes a day earlier, police

said.

Seven or eight cars burned Saturday in the North Hollywood area, said officer

Collier.

He said he didn't have further details of the blazes, but said arson is

suspected and there could be a link to the earlier blazes.

" We believe there might be, but we don't know for sure, " he said.

Fire officials said the first report came in shortly after midnight, and the

most recent about three hours later.

Early Friday morning, fires were reported in nearly two dozen locations in

Hollywood and the neighbouring city of West Hollywood during a four-hour period

before dawn. In nearly every case, the fire started in a parked car.

Flames from torched vehicles ignited some nearby houses early Friday, including

one once occupied by Doors frontman Jim on.

But Collier said that although some of Saturday's blazes are in carports and

garages, he didn't have any reports of damage to buildings.

Police set up a command post in the North Hollywood area and have called a

tactical alert, allowing them to call in more officers.

No arrests have been made and no injuries reported.

Another car fire was reported around 7 p.m. Friday in an underground garage in

Hollywood that fire officials were investigating for possible links to the

series of arson blazes. Los Angeles Fire Capt. said that a

connection hasn't been ruled out.

Arson investigators " consider it to be an incendiary fire similar to the fires

from this morning, " he told The Associated Press.

The new fires broke out even as authorities beefed up patrols and urged the

public to remain vigilant overnight.

Officials announced at least $35,000 in rewards for information leading to the

conviction of the person or persons responsible.

All of Friday's fires were in a 2-square mile (5.2-square kilometre)area and

most were in densely populated residential neighbourhoods where residents would

likely be asleep.

Authorities interviewed witnesses and looked for any video footage that may have

captured the person, or people, responsible for the spate of crimes.

Investigators from four agencies met for a strategy session, while Los Angeles

officials summoned investigators from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,

Firearms and Explosives.

Fire officials couldn't say whether the rash of fires was the work of a copycat.

There was a series of other arson fires early Thursday, also in Hollywood. Two

people have been arrested and remain in custody for those blazes, officials

said.

One of the homes was in Laurel Canyon, where on and his girlfriend once

lived, neighbours said. The winding road was the inspiration for the Doors' hit

" Love Street, " and the house was listed for nearly $1.2 million earlier this

year, according to real estate website Zillow.com.

Sandy Gendel, who owns a nearby restaurant, said he heard explosions from what

he later determined were likely car tires. He saw flames 30 feet (10 metres)

high coming from the deck of the former on house and a gutted Mazda Miata.

" It was just like a towering inferno, " Gendel said.

Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman said it is plausible that one

person in a car, on a motorcycle or on a bike could have set all the fires,

considering the limited area the blazes broke out in.

Hollywood is served by the Los Angeles city police and fire departments.

Adjacent West Hollywood is a separately incorporated city served by the Los

Angeles County fire and sheriff's departments.

___

Associated Press writers Sue Manning and Greg Risling contributed to this

report.