GUILTY CA - Harry Burkhart charged in Hollywood arson spree, 2011

JBean

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There have been some 25 fires set in the past days or so and they expect more tonight. They don't really have any idea who is doing this but it is extremely disturbing.They are asking the public's help to report anything you may see or have seen.



Hollywood arson spree: Suspect may set fires as game, expert says

The rash of arson fires in Hollywood and West Hollywood could have been the act of a thrill-seeker, one expert said Friday.



http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/hollywood-arson-fires-suspect-may-be-playing-game.html


Hollywood arson spree: Firefighters 'swamped' by wave of fires

The fire calls started pouring in shortly after midnight. Reports of burning vehicles in carports attached to apartments filled with sleeping residents in Hollywood and West Hollywood -- apparently the work of a serial arsonist.
By sunrise, firefighters had extinguished 19 suspected arson fires. The Los Angeles Police Department declared a citywide tactical alert, keeping officers working past the end of their shifts to help with the investigation.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/12/hollywood-arson-fires-firefighters-swamped.html
 
My daughter was visiting her friends in West Hollywood last night. They live in an apt. with an attached carport. The apt. manager asked everyone to move their cars out of the carport last night to prevent a tragedy in the middle of the night. :mad:
 
There is alot of surveillance video in the area. There has to be something caught on tape.

This crime immediately made my stomach flip flop. I fear every fire that this person gets away with will make them bolder. I feel like this person is working up to something bigger and it really scares me. If everyone from LE to the media and public is focused on this, what is not being payed attention too? Maybe I've been reading too many Harry Bosch books lately.
 
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/firefighters-chase-arsonist-hollywood-area-15259744#.Tv70_IHO-So

Another Car Fire Reported in Hollywood

Another car fire has been reported in an underground garage in Hollywood and fire officials believe it may be linked to a series of overnight arson fires in the area.

Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Jaime Moore tells the Los Angeles Times ( http://lat.ms/rxqFxb ) it's "very possible" that the fire reported at about 7 p.m. Friday beneath the L.A. Fitness health club was started by the same arsonist or arsonists. It involved only one car and no injuries were reported....


abc_hollywood_fires_dm_111230_wg.jpg

Authorities are asking members of the public to step forward with information after a string of 19 arsons in West Hollywood and Hollywood damaged buildings and cars throughout the area.
 
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KTLA) -- Police and firefighters were on high alert Saturday morning when another rash of fires -- believed to be the work of a serial arsonist -- broke out in the North Hollywood area and spreading into the San Fernando Valley.

At least 16 new fires were reported in the pre-dawn hours in Burbank, North Hollywood, Sun Valley and the Fairfax District. Police have not yet detained a suspect, nor have they named one.

snip

Officials said they are not sure if they dealing with multiple arson suspects or if some of the fires were the work of copycats. A law enforcement source told The Times that detectives are considering that more than one arsonist is involved.

Detectives investigating the fires said they are looking for a man driving a mid-1990s Lexus ES300 that could be white or tan.



http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-weho-fires-arson,0,845299.story


16 new arson fires set in L.A.; police consider multiple suspects
Police officials reported at least 16 new arson fires early Saturday in Los Angeles, bringing the number of fires intentionally set in the city in the last two days to more than 35.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...fires-set-in-la-police-multiple-suspects.html
 
So according to the link below, there's more than one suspect and LE is looking for a male in a white & tan mid-'90's Lexus ES300.

fran




L.A. fires likely set by more than one arsonist, police believe

The only clue officials have released about the Saturday fires is that they are looking for a male driving a white and tan mid-1990s Lexus ES300. No further description of the suspect was released.

read more at link.............http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...by-more-than-one-arsonist-police-believe.html
 
"Arson investigators were at every scene looking for evidence that will hopefully lead them to the suspect or suspects.

"An incendiary fire like this causes terror. It's intentional meant to make people afraid," said Los Angeles City Fire Capt. Jaime Moore.

On Thursday, 22-year-old Samuel Arrington of Sunland and another person was arrested after three arson fires erupted in a five-block radius in Hollywood within 15 minutes of each other.

Arrington was taken into custody after a worker outside a 7-Eleven saw him trying to cause more damage.

Police are unsure if Thursday's fires are connected to the rash of fires on Friday and Saturday. Police are asking for the public's help. Anyone with information is urged to call the Los Angeles City Fire Department at (213) 893-9800 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS."
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=8484641
 
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/world/53211165-68/fires-eisenberg-fire-hollywood.html.csp
"Among the most pressing questions: Were the fires set by a serial arsonist, multiple people or copycats? And why target cars, apparently at random?

Elyse Eisenberg, a film producer who lives in West Hollywood about a mile from a fire that was set Friday morning, said that since then she has noticed fire trucks ramping up their presence on city streets.

"I’ve seen the fire trucks stationed around town on ready alert. And that’s comforting ... They’re positioned in neighborhoods ready to go like in Laurel Canyon where the Jim Morrison fire was," Eisenberg said, referring to the house of the famous late Doors singer, which was among those damaged Friday".
 
I'm sure there are many people on the lookout tonight for suspicious activity.

Looking back on this year, this is the first one in a long time where we didn't have any really major brushfires. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Earthling
 
They hit my son's building tonight. -they are all fine. They were inside when it happened and were able to get out. LE told then it was the 5th fire tonight.
 
They hit my son's building tonight. -they are all fine. They were inside when it happened and were able to get out. LE told then it was the 5th fire tonight.

Good to hear they're ok.
 
Reward is now up to $60K - and the news said police have detained "several" people. All I have heard of is 2 so far that happened the other day.
 
I follow a bunch of folks who tweet about fire/fire department/police stuff all over California.. There are several in the LA area that I follow and they're all saying it's happening again.. More fires are burning.. The last count I saw from the LA folks say that the count is up to 6, possibly 7 for tonight and it's only 10pm on the West Coast.. Rumor has it that an arson suspect was taken into custody about 9:20pm near one of the latest fires.. I haven't seen any confirmation from the folks who listen to the fire/police scanners down there yet..

One of the guys I follow is a reporter.. He just posted a link to this:
Another suspected arson fire erupts, at Hollywood and Highland
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...r-arson-erupts-at-hollywood-and-highland.html

The other thing I'm picking up from the folks down there is that the fire trucks are NOT staying in the stations waiting for call-outs... They're stationed all over the Hollywood area in the trucks so they can get to the fires faster.

I hope they catch this arsonist (or the copycat arsonists) soon.. Someone is going to be seriously hurt if it keeps up.. So far, everyone has been able to escape the flames.. But.. Luck doesn't hold forever..
 
Could this be some type of terroristic flash mob type thing?

Jbean, Glad to hear your son is ok.
 
It's a bit eerie sitting here and reading this while I hear tons of fireworks being set off on the next block and smelling the smoke from them. I can't imagine those poor Angelinos going through this. I would not be able to sleep one minute!
 
My son lives on Sweetzer behind City Hall. one lives there and one is up there in WeHo for NYE with brother. They are in the building with the detached carport so their living area was spared.
 
Reward is now up to $60K - and the news said police have detained "several" people. All I have heard of is 2 so far that happened the other day.
There are reports of using a bicycle or motorcyle for a getaway vehicle. Feds are being called in.
 

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