Authorities investigating a series of small fires in Linda Vista, Mission Valley [Breaking]
Arson investigators are looking into several blazes in Linda Vista and Mission Valley after finding three vegetation fires and a boat fire early Wednesday, a San Diego police sergeant said.Firefighters responded to a vegetation fire in a canyon off Gifford Way in Linda Vista after someone called to report a homeless man had started a blaze shortly before 5 a.m., said San Diego police Sgt. Rick Pechin of the Metro Arson Strike Team.
Within a short period of time, officers found additional fires in the area, including another vegetation fire nearby and a boat that sustained $2,000 in damage when its cover was ignited as it was parked on Kelly Street near Drescher Street. Pechin said both of the brush fires were relatively small in size.
“As officers were searching the area for the suspect, they came across a boat on fire” on Kelly Street, Pechin said. “The boat was parked on the street and the cover was set on fire. An officer was able to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher.”Shortly after 7 a.m., a fourth fire was reported, this one involving vegetation along Friars Road west of the Fashion Valley shopping center and north of the San Diego River.
“MAST is at that scene now and evaluating to see if it is also an arson and if it could be related to the other fires,” Pechin said early Wednesday. No other details were immediately available.