Region : Blaze Appears to Be Arson
Investigators from the county Fire Department and sheriff’s arson team investigating the July 3 Puente Hills fire say it appears that the devastating blaze may have been deliberately set.
“There isn’t any way that could have started accidentally,” said fire Capt. Stan Hook “Our investigators are still looking for a device.
Even before the fire was contained late on the Fourth of July, firefighters had determined that the fire was not a natural fire but could not say whether it was an accident or arson. The blaze gutted 13 homes, blackened 1,500 acres and caused at least $4.3 million in damage to Turnbull Canyon homes, according to preliminary estimates.
Hook said investigators have completed their study of the area where the fire started, near the intersection of Beverly Drive and Turnbull Canyon Road, and are seeking to interview witnesses. Hook did not know how long the investigation would last.
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