Arsonists Sought in 2 Fires at House

Investigators are still looking for suspects in the apparent double-arson of a Ventura residence, police said.

A fire erupted early Sunday at a house in the 8700 block of Wellington Street, less than a day after another fire consumed most of the house, police said.

“Both fires are suspicious in nature,” Ventura Police Sgt. Gary McCaskill said. “But the second one is more easily identified as very likely being intentionally set.”

The first blaze raced through the four-bedroom house just before dawn Saturday while seven occupants--six men and one woman, all in their early 20s--were asleep, police said.

All the occupants escaped, with one man suffering minor burns to his face, police said. He was treated at Ventura County Medical Center and released.

“They were really fortunate to have escaped,” McCaskill said. “The structure burned very fast.”

Just before 3 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a second fire at the then-empty residence.

Investigators suspect the second fire was started with flammable liquids near two bedrooms spared in the first blaze, McCaskill said.

The house, which was rented by five young men, had attracted police attention before, McCaskill said. Friday evening, officers broke up a fight involving four young men. Police returned later that night after neighbors reported partying outside the house.