100-Acre Blaze 25th Fire Linked to Arsonist

In the largest of a series of 25 suspicious fires to hit the Agoura Hills area since April, 100 acres of brush burned Saturday as citizen patrols began efforts to catch or deter whoever is setting the blazes.

Two helicopters and about 100 firefighters from Los Angeles and Ventura counties took about an hour to control the fire Saturday along Rolling Ridge Drive, about a mile north of the Ventura Freeway in Agoura Hills.

The fire did not threaten any houses, although it burned across the street from several homes on Rolling Ridge and Grey Rock Road, Los Angeles County Battalion Chief Dennis Stangeland said.

“I just came out here and there was fire in 10 different directions,” said Rindy Dallas, 28, who lives on Rolling Ridge Drive. “I was just wondering if it was going to hit the house. . . . I knew this was coming because I’ve been driving up and down the freeway seeing the other fires.”

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Richard Edwards, who is heading the arson investigation, determined the fire was arson after searching through scorched grass where the fire started off a cul-de-sac at the end of Rolling Ridge Drive. Edwards said he found nothing to indicate the fire was set accidentally.

No Arrests

No arrest was made, and Edwards said more than one person might be responsible for the arsons, which previously had resulted in fires that covered up to 75 acres.

Because Saturday’s fire was near a road and occurred in the afternoon, it fit the pattern that fire officials outlined earlier that morning for more than 50 residents and members of the city’s Citizen Disaster Response Team who met at the Agoura Hills City Hall to divide the area into four sectors and assign citizens to patrol them.

The patrols apparently were not in the area of Saturday’s fire, Edwards said.

“The fires have been sporadic enough where we can’t pinpoint or target an area where he’s going to hit next,” Edwards said.

But Agoura Hills Mayor Jack W. Koenig said he was encouraged by the morning turnout on the first day of the Fourth of July weekend.

“We’re aware of the danger to life and property that this causes and want to do something about it,” Koenig said.

Sheriff’s Lt. Dan Reidder had warned the group against trying to chase anyone or becoming trapped in a burning canyon. The citizens’ patrols are being conducted with the help of Arson Watch, a Sheriff’s Department volunteer group.

Reidder told the residents to write down descriptions of suspicious people or activities and report them to the Sheriff’s Department.

“The way this arsonist is going to be caught is when someone sees suspicious activity and can document it,” Reidder said. “We don’t want you to get involved in any kind of enforcement activity.”

Reidder said he hoped the patrols would deter the arsonist from setting more blazes. “The fires have to stop,” he said. Speculating on the identity of the arsonist, County Assistant Fire Chief Ray O. Shackelford said he or she probably is “a thrill-seeker or someone who has some sort of vendetta.”