Man arrested series of arson fires in Burbank
A 45-year-old man was charged Tuesday after allegedly setting a series of fires in downtown Burbank, destroying a recreational vehicle and a YMCA donation bin, officials said.
Mark Ryan was charged with one count of arson of a structure and three counts each of arson of the property of another, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
The first fire was set on Christmas to a donation bin at the Burbank Community YMCA, according to Burbank Police Sgt. Claudio Losacco. Ryan was questioned and released that day as investigators could not connect him to the crime.
Two days later, firefighters responded to 43 E. Palm Ave., where an RV in the parking lot was fully engulfed in flames.
As crews were knocking down the RV fire, they noticed smoke coming from the vacant, abandoned building nearby, according to Burbank Battalion Chief Steve Briggs. Inside, firefighters reportedly put out a small fire set on the concrete floor.
“There was some debris gathered together that was set on fire,” Briggs said.
About 10 minutes later, another group of firefighters responded to 325 S. San Fernando Road, where a Waste Management dumpster was on fire behind Ross Dress for Less.
“They knocked that down pretty quick,” Briggs said, adding that there was some damage to the stucco on the exterior of the building, but none to the interior. According to Losacco, several trees also burned.
Investigators later matched shoeprints collected from inside the vacant Palm Avenue building to the shoes Ryan was wearing, Losacco said. Surveillance footage also showed the same person, which appeared to be Ryan, in the area of all three fires on Sunday.
Before Ryan’s arrest, another man had been questioned and released.
Ryan, identified as a transient from Glendale, is being held in lieu of $310,000 bail, Losacco said.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and is due back in court next month.
Investigators are looking into whether Ryan set other fires in Burbank.
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Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com
Twitter: @atchek
