- Lake County News reports
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Series of arson fires in Ukiah under investigation
Altogether, seven fires were set in a two-hour period late on Wednesday afternoon and early in the evening, according to Capt. Greg Van Patten of the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office
Van Patten said that at 4:55 p.m. Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a fire on South Dora Street near the intersection of Fircrest Drive in Ukiah.
As deputies were arriving at the scene, a separate fire was reported on Gobalet Lane near South Street Street approximately a mile and a half to the south, Van Patten said.
At that time, Van Patten said the deputies saw another fire on Highway 253 near South State Street, approximately half a mile to the south.
Van Patten said deputies began providing evacuation warnings to the public in these areas when another fire was reported on Plant Road near Taylor Drive in the approximate area of the fires on Gobalet Lane and Highway 253.
As deputies were contacting the public they learned several people had seen a person who they believed was intentionally starting the fires, Van Patten said.
Van Patten said the male subject was described as a Native American or Hispanic adult male with a ponytail, wearing black clothing and riding a bicycle.
Deputies began searching the area for the person with the assistance of the Ukiah Police Department, California Highway Patrol, County of Mendocino Marijuana Enforcement Team and Mendocino County Major Crimes Task Force, Van Patten said.
For approximately two hours, several people matching the person's description were contacted by law enforcement personnel but Van Patten the contacts did not yield the person suspected of committing the acts of arson.
During the two-hour period, there were three additional fires with two being located at the end of Airport Park Boulevard and one being located on Babcock Lane near the Talmage bridge, Van Patten said.
Personnel from Cal Fire, the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority and Hopland Fire Department responded quickly to each fire scene, Van Patten said.
Just before 7 p.m., Cal Fire issued a call for an immediate need strike team from Lake County to respond to Mendocino County to assist with the firefighting effort, according to scanner traffic.
Once arriving, Van Patten said firefighters were able to quickly contain the spread of the fires and were successful in extinguishing them.
Van Patten said Mendocino County Sheriff's detectives are continuing investigations into the fires, which at this time are believed to be acts of arson.
He said investigators are asking for the public's assistance in identifying the person who is believed to have set the fires.
If anyone living in the following areas has security camera footage of the outside of their home depicting the responsible subject, during the time frame of 4:50 p.m. to 6:57 p.m. on Wednesday, they are asked to contact the Sheriff's Office Tipline by calling 707-234-2100.
Van Patten said the areas of interest for security camera footage are:
– South Dora Street from Fircrest Drive to Meadowbrook Drive;
– Fircrest Drive to South State Street;
– Oak Knoll Road to South State Street;
– Fairview Court to South State Street;
– South State Street from Fircrest to Highway 253;
– Gobalet Lane;
– Plant Road;
– Airport Park Boulevard;
– Babcock Lane.