Ex-Firefighter Trainee Faces 10 Counts of Arson

A 22-year-old former firefighter trainee was charged with 10 counts of arson Thursday for allegedly setting a series of small blazes across the South Bay, including fires near his Torrance home, a Hermosa Beach comedy club where he worked and a bar in Redondo Beach.

Arson investigators said Douglas R. Hunziker, who was thrown out of the firefighter Explorer Program three years ago for stealing, would sometimes report the fires to authorities or help evacuate people from the scene, actions they said are common for so-called “vanity arsonists.” No one was injured and property damage was minor. Investigators said he was thrown out of the program after admitting that he stole an ambulance driver’s wallet.

Hunziker, who was arrested outside his Torrance home Wednesday afternoon, is in custody on $500,000 bail. He will plead not guilty to the charges during an arraignment today, said his attorney, Darryl W. Genis of Torrance.