GLENDALE : Judge May Ease Conditions of Arson Suspect’s Bail

A federal judge Wednesday said that he will allow a Glendale fire captain charged with arson to work for a private investigation firm if he remains in the office all day.

U.S. District Judge Edward Rafeedie said he was willing to change the conditions of John Orr’s bail if the court’s pretrial services division can confirm that Orr will have a desk job that will allow him to be monitored throughout the day.

Orr, who is on unpaid leave of absence from the Glendale Fire Department pending the outcome of the case, is confined to his home in Eagle Rock as part of his bail arrangement.

Orr, who wrote a novel about a firefighter who sets fires, was indicted on charges that he set or tried to set blazes at eight stores in the Los Angeles and Central California areas during the past three years.