Reluctant Witnesses Hindering Arson Probe

The investigation into an arson fire that destroyed four condominiums in San Clemente is being stymied by reluctant witnesses, authorities said Thursday.

“Our investigators are working through a number of obstacles and a reluctance on the part of members of the public [whom] we feel will be critical to the case,” said Battalion Chief Scott Brown of the Orange County Fire Authority.

Brown would not elaborate or identify the witnesses. The Fire Authority has said three unnamed juveniles are the prime suspects in the case, but no arrests have been made.

Authorities are negotiating with lawyers hired by the youths, who were tracked to out-of-state locations in the weeks after the blaze, Brown said.

Officials have not disclosed the location of the suspects or said whether they were in Orange County on vacation at the time of the fire or are local residents who fled afterward. The source of the fire also has not been released because officials said it would jeopardize the investigation.

The Aug. 1 fire raced up a canyon near the San Clemente Pier, destroying a three-unit condo complex valued at nearly $1 million and one unit in a neighboring building. A home on the opposite side of the canyon was seriously damaged.

Several witnesses reported seeing two or three teenagers running from the area near the beach where the fire broke out.

No one was injured in the fire, but dozens of residents were forced to evacuate as more than 100 firefighters battled the blaze.