Man suspected of setting nine fires, from San Diego to Jamul

A 48-year-old man has been arrested and accused of setting a string of arson fires nine in all in parched East County brush in November, including one blaze that briefly forced evacuations, Cal Fire officials said Monday.

The man, who is homeless, was taken into custody on Saturday, the day the last two fires in the series were ignited, the state agency said in a news release. Authorities did not say where he was arrested. He remained jailed without bail Monday; online jail records indicate the man may have been on probation at the time of his arrest.

Cal Fire credited vigilant witnesses for providing its investigators with critical information that helped identify the man as a suspect. An agency spokesperson said its investigators gathered witness statements and information from each of the fires.

According to Cal Fire, the first brush fire in the suspected series happened on Nov. 10 in Jamul.

Ten days later, on Nov. 20, six fires erupted within two hours in the communities of Rancho San Diego, Dehesa and Jamul, the agency said. The biggest of them was dubbed the Millar fire, near Campo and Millar Ranch roads in Rancho San Diego, and reached about 15 acres as it threatened structures. Evacuations were ordered, but the order was lifted less than 40 minutes later.

via www.sandiegouniontribune.com

One hopes they will keep this guy in jail. Hopefully he’s not an illegal immigrant.