For Arson Team, Laguna Blaze Remains Open Case : Fire: Investigators will continue checking the leads they receive until the matter is resolved, officials say.

Tips are coming more slowly, but a full-time arson investigation team continues to track any clues that may reveal the cause of the devastating Laguna Beach fire six weeks ago.

A team of one part-time and three full-time arson investigators from the Orange County and Laguna Beach fire departments still receives and checks about five leads each week. The team has followed up on 471 leads since the Oct. 27 wildfire that destroyed 366 homes and caused more than $400 million in damage.

“The key thing is this investigation will remain open and active as a criminal investigation indefinitely until it’s resolved,” said Kathleen Cha, a spokeswoman for the Orange County Fire Department.

Despite the passage of time, fire officials said they have not given up hope on cracking the case.

“We always have hope,” Laguna Beach Deputy Fire Chief Richard Dewberry said. “That’s one thing about the arson (investigation), we never close the book on it.”

Investigators have said a main clue in determining the fire was caused by an arsonist is the absence of any physical evidence, such as downed power lines or half-burned cigarette butts, that would suggest the fire was accidental. The fire started about 80 feet off Laguna Canyon Road, further leading investigators to rule out an accidental start.

The Laguna arson team consisted of 14 full-time investigators from state, county and local fire agencies, with support from part-time investigators, the district attorney’s office and the state fire marshal’s office.

In one effort to break the case, firefighters in mid-November handed out thousands of yellow flyers to motorists on Laguna Canyon and El Toro roads in the hopes some commuter may have a revealing clue. The flyer reminded drivers that the fire began on Laguna Canyon Road at 11:50 a.m. on Oct. 27, and that there is a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the arsonist.

The flyers yielded more than 50 new leads, Cha said.

At one early point in the investigation, officials questioned a man accused of impersonating a firefighter, but determined he had been elsewhere the day of the Laguna blaze.

Later in November, as the number of new leads began to dwindle, the team was scaled back.

Those with information are asked to call (714) 744-0515.