Water Plant Fire Blamed on Arson

Los Angeles County fire officials said Monday that arson apparently was the cause of the fire that damaged the state’s Pearblossom water pumping plant in the Antelope Valley, doing millions of dollars in damage and temporarily halting water flow through the California Aqueduct.

County fire officials said they had ruled out accidental causes, but declined to elaborate on their arson conclusion. A state Department of Water Resources official said damage would exceed $2 million and a county fire report estimated $4.7 million in damage.

The fire, which broke out about 5:20 p.m. Saturday and took 45 firefighters more than an hour to control, destroyed the roof of the pumping plant, which was undergoing a $68-million expansion. State officials said the only prior trouble there was several days of picketing more than a month ago by workers protesting non-union crews.

Bob Parlier, a state project engineer, said it may be the end of the week before workers can try to restart the pumps. Water users south of Pearblossom should have adequate supplies from reservoirs and water already in the aqueduct, he said.