Brush Fires Along Freeway Investigated
- Share via
Police are investigating a series of brush fires along the San Diego Freeway late Thursday that may have been started by an arsonist.
Four small fires within a half-mile of one another began about midnight, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells. Less than three acres were burned and the flames were extinguished within the hour.
Because of the proximity of the fires to one another and the time they occurred, authorities suspect arson.
“We don’t know why anyone would purposely do this,” Wells said. “If we find that one or several people started this fire, they will be apprehended.”
Initial reports of witnesses seeing a man in a white pickup truck throwing objects, possibly flares, from his vehicle had not been verified, Wells said.
The California Highway Patrol closed two lanes on the southbound side of the freeway for about an hour.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
