Perhaps the most interesting part of the article:

  • @pelespirit@sh.itjust.works
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    2 days ago

    Maybe? They’re not sure if this guy is linked.

    Warning: MSN link ahead:

    Alleged Arsonist Arrested In Los Angeles Amid Deadly California Wildfires: What We Know

    ETA: Also, 3 fires started all at once looks a little wonky in January.

    Edit 2:

    …though law enforcement officials have said they cannot confirm a connection between the arson suspect and any of the deadly fires currently burning through California.

    One of the women involved in the citizen’s arrest, Renata Grinshpun, told local news he had a “propane tank or… like a flame thrower” and that someone saw him “behind a van, trying to light something on fire.”

    • Any spark that wasn’t dealt with immediately during Santa Ana’s that severe (60-100 mph gusts, constant wind around 40 mph), and during a severe drought, AND with humidity below 20% was going to blow up.

      It is wonky that it happened in January, because historically that’s when we’re getting rain, but that hasn’t happened this water year. For all practical purposes we’re still in the dry season.

      • @pelespirit@sh.itjust.works
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        22 days ago

        Yeah, but they caught a guy with a torch blower trying to start fires. I don’t know if it’s arson or not. I hope not, this is horrific.

        • Yeah, it sounds like he is responsible probably for the Kenneth fire, which started after the winds had died down a bit. Still enough wind to kick it off (regular 20 mph gusts), but it wasn’t hurricane force winds like Tuesday when the Palisades and Eaton fires started. I’m skeptical that any arsonist is fire happy enough to also get clonked in the head by flying debris.

          • @pelespirit@sh.itjust.works
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            32 days ago

            I can see why you’re pretty confident, but I don’t think you can be 100% confident that these weren’t all started. We’ll have to wait and see. They’re usually pretty great about figuring out what happened.

            • @idiomaddict@lemmy.world
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              12 days ago

              That’s honestly really impressive. The majority of the evidence has been incinerated by thousand-degree fires and covered in sea water and firefighting foam by the time investigators get to it.