You may recall Mendocino County’s 2021 Hopkins Fire, which destroyed more than 250 acres and nearly 30 homes, and now a 23-year-old man is on trial for the second time for allegedly starting it, after his first trial was declared a mistrial.

One of the most discouraging aspects of California wildfire season is that some of these incredibly destructive fires are started on purpose, and by arsonists. The currently raging Park Fire in Butte, Tehama, Plumas, and Shasta counties, a fire which is now geographically larger than the City of Los Angeles, is believed to have been caused by man pushing a burning car into a ravine.

And three years ago, Mendocino County’s Hopkins Fire torched 257 acres and burned nearly 30 homes, and authorities believe that fire too was intentionally set by a man named Devin Lamar Johnson.

It took a year-and-half for Johnson’s arson trial to begin, because of concerns about his mental competency. The trial was moved from Mendocino County to Marin County, and the jury deadlocked, resulting in a mistrial. Undaunted, Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster just started another new trial in Marin County, according to the Ukiah Daily Journal, with the now-23-year-old Johnson now facing arson charges again.

The prosecution is basing part of its case on photographs from Ukiah freelance photographer Peter Armstrong, whose specialty is wildfire photos. Armstrong has photos allegedly placing ​​Johnson near the source of the fire in the small Mendocino County town of Calpella not long after the blaze started.

No one was injured in the eighth-day Hopkins Fire, but dozens of homes were lost. “Nothing can replace what I lost that day,” homeowner Steve Schwartz told the Ukiah Daily Journal after the initial mistrial. “I lost 50 years of my life because I had stuff from when I was born and it will never be replaced.”

Per the Journal, the suspect Johnon was already on felony probation for attempted robbery when he was arrested on arson charges for the Hopkins Fire. He faces three charges of arson, an aggravated arson charge for burning multiple structures, and additional charges of  arson of an inhabited structure, and arson during a state of emergency.

Related: Chico Man Arrested For Allegedly Sparking Massive Wildfire By Pushing Burning Car Into Ravine [SFist]

Image via PG&E

The SFPD has reportedly made an arrest in connection with the arson of an autonomous Waymo taxi in Chinatown last month, and they say the suspect is linked to other vehicle arson cases.

It's been a while since San Francisco had a prolific carsonist about town, but there could be one in our midst again — or, at least, the SFPD says they have such a suspect in custody.

The department released surveillance footage last week of a suspect lighting a parked Tesla on fire in SF's SoMa district on February 24, one of two that was torched that same night.

And now, as the SF Standard confirms with police, they have a suspect in custody connected with the Waymo car set on fire amid Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown two weeks earlier.

We don't yet have a suspect name, but police reportedly said that they arrested a man on February 27 near Union Square who was suspected of lighting "several" cars on fire. The suspect also allegedly had methamphetamine on his person at the time of the arrest.

The SFPD has not yet linked the Waymo arson with the two Teslas set on fire, but the media was already making that connection last week, including the LA Times, and SFGate.

Two days after the Chinatown Waymo incident, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin told reporters that the SFPD already had "promising leads" on suspects in the case, though we did not hear anything further in the weeks that followed.

The Tesla fires occurred within a block of each other on February 24. The arsonist was caught on video putting some paper on top of the tire of a parked Model Y near the intersection of Shipley and Fourth streets, and then lighting it, and the car subsequently went up in flames.

The other fire occurred shortly before that near Bonafacio and Mabini streets — alleyways between Third and Fourth streets, south of Folsom.

Previously: Waymo Self-Driving Vehicle Vandalized, Set on Fire in San Francisco Chinatown Saturday Night

Photo via SFFD

There’s been a development in the case of four cars torched in Bernal Heights on New Year’s Eve, as someone, somewhere is in custody in connection with the investigation. But they’re in custody elsewhere “for an unrelated matter,” according to SFPD.

It’s been nearly an entire month since four cars were set on fire on New Year’s Eve on Park Street near Holly Park in Bernal Heights, with additional reports that the suspect tried to light a house on fire that evening too. And it’s had the neighborhood even more on edge that another car was torched not even ten days later, just five blocks away at San Jose and 30th streets.

But there has been a development, at least in regards to the New Year’s Eve car fires. The San Francisco Police Department tells SFist that someone is in custody, in another county, and they're being held for some reason other than the Bernal Heights fires.  

“The subject is in custody in another county for an unrelated matter. We are not able to provide further information until that individual is charged in SF,” an SFPD spokesperson tells SFist.

It’s important to note SFPD uses the term “subject,” and not “suspect.” That indicates the individual in question is still the subject of the investigation, though not necessarily suspected of being the arsonist yet. Moreover, we don’t know where this individual is in custody (except that it’s somewhere outside the City and County of San Francisco), and there is no timeline for if or even whether that person could eventually face charges here.

But the phrase “until that individual is charged in SF” suggests some likelihood that SFPD or the DA’s office does intend to file charges.

We should also note there is no evidence or indication that this individual has any connection to the January 9 car fire on San Jose Avenue (seen above). And in that fire, someone lit a discarded Christmas tree, and the fire spread to an adjacent car.

So should Bernal Heights residents be confident that the “carsonist” is behind bars? There are still too many questions unanswered to be confident of that. But it does seem like law enforcement is connecting dots and making progress. And in this case, some vague and carefully worded news is better than no news at all.

Related: Arsonist Torched Four Cars in Bernal Heights on New Year’s Eve, Reportedly Tried to Burn House Too [SFist]

Image: Bernalwood: Discussion via Facebook

The normally quiet neighborhood of Bernal Heights saw an arsonist destroy four cars by setting them ablaze around 9:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, and some yet-unconfirmed reports say the same individual may have tried to burn at least one house, too.

Bernal Heights is generally a pretty sleepy place, though bordering on the Mission District, it gets its share of fireworks booms on New Year’s Eve. But the neighborhood got pyrotechnics of the wrong kind on Sunday night, as the Chronicle reports that an arsonist torched four cars on the 300 block of Park Street (right by Holly Park). The incident happened shortly before 9:30 p.m., and while no one was injured, there are reports that someone attempted to light a house on fire in the neighborhood shortly around the same time.

The above car is also seen in NBC Bay Area’s report on the burned cars, as that car was burned in a driveway, and the others were burned parked on the street. NBC Bay Area spoke with the daughter of the car’s owner, Lila Nelson. “We turn to the right and see my boyfriend‘s car is in flames and then we see the cars in front of it are also in flames,” Nelson told the station. “And then we turn to our left here and our car was on fire too.”

But more importantly, NBC Bay Area’s report has video footage of an apparent suspect. While the cars are burning, one neighbor’s surveillance video captured footage of a brunette man in a white shirt, seen walking by with a gas can in his hand.

And there may have been more fires which that or other arsonists tried to set that evening. The SF Standard spoke to a resident who gave an account of someone else’s security video which he claimed he had seen, wherein per the Standard’s words, “his neighbors' security footage also showed the perpetrator pouring gas onto garages, into the engine bays of cars and even up the stairs of one home where he said children were celebrating New Year's Eve.”

The SFPD declined to comment on that aspect of the story.

But the district’s Supervisor Hillary Ronen is talking. “I’m hopeful that there will be accountability in this case shortly,” Ronen told the Chronicle. “I also know that the event is being taken very seriously and that there are leads, and investigation is happening.”

Ronen added she and the Ingleside police captain would be meeting with victims and neighbors Thursday, though it’s not clear at what time or where that meeting will be, or if it will be public.  

No arrests have been made. If you have any information on this incident, you’re asked to call the SFPD tip line at 415-575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with “SFPD.” Tipsters can remain anonymous.

Related: Person Found Critically Injured In Burning Car In Oakland [SFist]

Image: Bernalwood: Discussion via Facebook

A 27-year-old man from San Jose is now behind bars, accused of setting fire to a Home Depot two Saturdays ago as he stole several items. As SFist reported, that April 9 five-alarm blaze was so hot, it could be seen from space.

The man the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office now says is responsible is Dyllin Jaycruz Gogue. DA Jeff Rosen says he’s charged with aggravated arson, seven counts of grand theft, and three counts of petty theft.

Aggravated arson is a very specific charge that requires a certain legal standard to meet. Firstly, for that charge, prosecutors have to prove a person intentionally set fire to a property. The damage caused has to exceed $8.3 million, which it does in this case. Further, for a person to be convicted, prosecutors have to demonstrate it was likely that a person could have been seriously injured or killed.

“This fire was it was set around 5:15, 5:30 p.m. on a Saturday with the store full of employees and shoppers,” said Rosen. “This home depot is very close to residences and schools. This was an incredibly reckless and dangerous act. I felt the appropriate way to hold somebody accountable for this crime was the most serious charge.”

That charge alone carries a term of 10 years to life. With the other charges added on, that increases to 14 years to life. However, the District Attorney says Gogue would be eligible for parole in six years.

Prosecutors aren’t sure how much was stolen from the Home Depot after the fire started, but said Gogue has been charged with other thefts before where the total value of what was taken was in the tens of thousands. He's also accused of stealing from a nearby Bass Pro Shop earlier that day, before the alleged arson at Home Depot.

DA Rosen says Gogue loaded up a cart with stolen goods and tried to escape while the fire burned, but was stopped by a Home Depot employee and escaped in another person's car.

"Later, as the Home Depot was burning, he continued a theft spree that extended to a Macy's in the East Bay," said Rosen. Investigators served a warrant to arrest Gogue on Friday, April 15th.

The San Jose Fire Department stayed on scene monitoring hot spots from the fire for two days after it burned down the Home Depot.

"Debris trapped under the fallen roof is the source of some small flare ups," the Department explained on April 11th.

The District Attorney says his office values the total loss of goods at around $17 million. That’s on top of the lost building and damage to other nearby buildings, which would add up to tens of millions more in damages.

“While I’m grateful no one was killed and what you’re seeing here is really an A-Team of first responders who handled this situation, I also recognize that people that live in this area of San Jose the smoke, the disruption, to be reminded of this fire every time you go to that shopping mall or drive by it, is traumatic,” said Rosen. “And for the workers in that store, I don’t know if they’ve lost their job or not, but that’s one thing that’s so dangerous about setting a fire and why we handle it so vigorously and forcefully in law enforcement is because the consequences of starting a fire can be so cataclysmic.”

San Jose Fire Chief Robert Sapien Jr. says the Fire Department is still working to establish what fire protection systems, if any, were working and available in the building.

Special Agent Patrick T. Gorman, who oversees the San Francisco field division of the federal government’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, says he has a 14-person team assigned to this case. That includes forensic mapping specialists and highly-experienced fire experts who are now working with the San Jose Fire Department to investigate the fire.

Gorman says the investigators confirmed the fire was intentionally started, and that the arson began while employees and customers were still inside the building.

Gogue has an arraignment hearing at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. The District Attorney's Office says the investigation is ongoing.

Related: Five-Alarm Fire at Bay Area Home Depot Was so Hot That It Was Detectable From Space

Photo: San Jose Fire Dept/Twitter

Over a million acres have already burned in Northern California this wildfire season — a figure that meant nothing to one Bay Area arsonist on Saturday. Thankfully, several good samaritans stopped that figure from growing any more than it needed to.

Yesterday, an individual at the Bay Village Shopping Center at 3080 Marlow Road in Santa Rosa noticed someone setting fire to a dry patch of grass off the side of the road. Knowing something was off, the person decided to call the police and stick around until authorities could come and apprehend the suspect — who, apparently, was at one point fanning the flames to make things burn faster. Fast forward a bit later... and that one person was joined by more do-gooders, each of them present to hold the lawbreaker accountable for their environmentally unsound crime.

Per a news release from the Santa Rosa Police Department, when officers arrived on the scene, they found the suspect, 43-year-old Jacey Steven Ludwicki of Santa Rosa, surrounded by several people. Upon questioning, one of the people in the group told police the suspect "lit something on fire" before dropping it on the ground to catch on the grass beneath. Ludwicki, too, was also accused of intentionally fanning the flames to grow the small blaze, which he started near a dry creek bed.

The release noted that Ludwicki was taken into custody by on-site police. (When Ludwicki began moving away from the fire, he was quickly detained by the officers who soon after located a cigarette lighter on him.) Ludwick admitted to the crime during their arrest. Currently, the fortysomething was arrested for "451 (d) PC-Arson (a felony) and 1203.2 PC-violating his probation terms (a misdemeanor)."

Thankfully, the 400-square-foot  brush fire was promptly put out by firefighters.

According to California’s penal code, "willful or malicious arsons" can result in fines of up to $10K and, should the arson be conducted to property or on forest land, may result in six years in prison.

But again: You can avoid all of the above penalties by simply not being an asshole toward Mother Nature.

Related: Dixie and Caldor Fires Each Reach 60% Containment

Photo: Courtesy of Twitter via @SantaRosaFire

An invaluable environmental art piece by the sculptor Andy Goldsworthy was damaged early Tuesday morning in what investigators believe was an act of arson.

The fire, which sent flames shooting high above the tree line in the Presidio, was reported at 5:30 a.m. today, as the Chronicle reports. At least four spot fires were subsequently reported around the Presidio, apparently sparked by embers being blown from the fire at the base of Goldsworthy's "Spire." The 100-foot-tall sculpture was created in 2008 out of felled cypress trees in the Presidio, and it is one of four site-specific Goldsworthy pieces in the national park.

The fire charred the sculpture, and it remains unclear whether it may need to be taken down.

In a statement to the Chronicle, the Presidio Trust said, "We are devastated that this invaluable piece of art has been damaged, and we are still in the process of determining if it can be saved."

The SF Fire Department reported that the spot fires and the blaze around "Spire" were all contained by 10 a.m., helped by damp and foggy conditions, per KPIX. The spot fires were said to be 200 feet by 200 feet each.

SFFD Battalion Chief Glenn Kircher tells the Chronicle that the sculpture still appears structurally sound. Investigators are hoping that surveillance footage from a clubhouse nearby might help them identify the suspected arsonists.

The 63-year-old Andy Goldsworthy was born in Cheshire, England and now lives in Scotland. He is known for his "land art" and site-specific works like "Spire," and the nearby "Wood Line" piece that creates a picturesque downhill trail through the Presidio using fallen trees. Along with two other pieces, "Tree Fall" and "Earth Wall," the Presidio's collection of Goldsworthy's works is the largest single group of them in the world, and are a magnet for art tourism.

Because his artworks are site-specific and sometime ephemeral, their value is difficult to estimate and much of his sold artwork is photography of his installations.

Photo: JF/Twitter

Not shockingly, the firebug the police arrested on Wednesday for setting over a dozen small fires in SoMa and the Mission sounds a little loony.

ABC7 caught up with 47-year-old arson suspect Anthony Bejarano's former roommate, who claimed that Bejarano "cornered me in the kitchen and threatened to kill me." The roommate then called the police but he declined to have Bejarano arrested at the time, which was sometime last year. "I said no because I was afraid he would harm me if I did."

Police are saying that Bejarano is definitely dangerous, and that they have surveillance footage of him at or near the site of multiple fires from the last month. They say they have photos and video of him "in the process of committing a series of arson fires," and always carrying a shopping bag to the scene.

As KTVU reports, the tip that led to Bejarano's arrest came from a convenience store owner who recognized him as a repeat customer. Sam Habash of Gabby Cafe and convenience store in SoMa even saw Bejarano walking by the shop right after he'd seen the surveillance footage that the SFPD had posted online, and he called the cops.

Bejarano's now being held on $1.3 million bail, and has so far refused interviews.

[KTVU]
[ABC 7]

The SFPD says they have caught a man they believe is the SoMa firebug responsible for a string of over a dozen fires, some of them in dumpsters and many around construction sites, over the last month. They released photos and surveillance video of him on Tuesday, and made an arrest on Wednesday. The suspect's name is expected to be released today, as the Chron and others are reporting.

As KTVU reports, police say that the man they've arrested is the man who appears in the surveillance footage, which had been taken on June 18 and 19.

In a turnaround from Tuesday's reports, investigators are now saying the suspect could in fact be connected to the burning of that Mercedez-Benz in the garage at One Rincon Hill last Thursday, and they can connect him to at least four of the recent fires.

The first fires date back almost a month, and two were set at or near the Lumina construction project at Folsom and Beale. A couple of the fires were set outside of SoMa, in the Mission. Most have been small and easily contained, but the car fire caused significant damage, and one of the fires at Lumina is estimated to have caused $30,000 in damages.

We'll update you as we learn more.

Update: The SFPD released the suspect's name as Anthony Bejarano of San Francisco, age 47, and say they arrested him on the 200 block of Harrison Street yesterday evening.

[KTVU]
[Chron]
[Kron4]

Previously: SFPD Releases Photos Of SoMa Arson Suspect
9 Suspicious Fires Strike SoMa and Mission In Past 3 Weeks

The SFPD this morning released photos of a man they're looking for in connection to the dozen or so fires that have been set in the last several weeks. Stills from surveillance cameras show a heavyset gentleman in an SF Giants cap, wearing a plaid shirt and carrying shopping bag. The same man appears to have been caught on camera on two separate occasions on June 18 and 19.

This does not appear to be the same man who police arrested Monday following a trash can fire near Union Square. ABC 7 showed footage of an African American suspect being put into a squad car following that incident, and this suspect does not appear to be African American.

Surveillance video of the current suspect is expected to go online at the SFPD's website later today.

Over a dozen small fires have been set over the last month in SoMa and the Mission, many of them at buildings under construction. Several fires were set over the weekend, two in broad daylight, and investigators previously noted that the firebug appears to be getting ever bolder in setting fires, closer to more populated areas. Monday's incident, which may turn out not to be connected, occurred at a trash can at Eddy and Cyril Magnin Streets.

For now, investigators are saying that the Mercedes Benz that was lit on fire in the garage at One Rincon Hill last week was some work done by a different arsonist.

And, so far, the largest amount of damages of any of these small fires appears to have been at the Lumina construction site at Folsom and Beale, where damage is estimated at $30,000.

I'm especially interested to find out whether this is the work of a run-of-the-mill, fire-obsessed crazy person, or whether there's an anti-development, anti-gentrification motive at play. Stay tuned.

Here are the photos of the suspect. If you recognize him or have any information, you can call the SFPD's anonymous tip line at 415-575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411 with “SFPD” in the message, or contact Inspector John Miller of the Arson Task Force at 415-920-2944.

Previously: Arsonist Strikes Four More Times In SoMa And Mission
9 Suspicious Fires Strike SoMa and Mission In Past 3 Weeks

That series of suspicious fires, likely all started by the same individual and typically centering around construction sites in SoMa, continued over the weekend with four fires on Sunday including three in SoMa and one in the Mission. The first site, at 222 Howard, is a half-built building, where a small fire was set at one corner. Another fire was set a few hours later on Mission near Saint Patrick's church, and two more fires were set in newspaper boxes in SoMa around 11 p.m. Sunday.

The BMW fire in the garage at One Rincon Hill last week may also be linked, and ABC 7 notes that that is also partly a construction site, as Tower Two, above that garage, remains under construction.

Sunday's fires caused minimal damage.

Prior to these, the most recent fires last week occurred near a construction site at First and Folsom, and there was also another in the Mission, at 16th and Hoff. Several have been set in dumpsters.

Though there was no security on site at the most recent blaze, there is security camera footage, and a joint investigative force from the police and fire departments is working on tracking down this active firebug. As always, if you see the guy (or woman), you can call the SFPD's anonymous tip line at 415-575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411 with “SFPD” in the message.

[ABC 7]
[ABC 7]

A series of nine, likely related acts of arson have occurred in less than three weeks, most in SoMa around several highrise construction projects, seemingly the work of a firebug who has not yet been identified. As KTVU and others report, the serial arsonist has struck several dumpsters, causing minimal damage, however the most recent arsons at construction sites appear to indicate that s/he is getting bolder.

The most recent arsons were in dumpsters outside buildings at First and Folsom and First and Tehama on Tuesday night, with a third occurring last night on Hoff Street between 16th and 17th Street in the Mission. Previously, the same arsonist is suspected of starting fires at a construction site at Folsom and Beale, the site of the under-construction, 655-unit Lumina condo project. Four of the nine suspected arsons have occurred at this site. The implication is that the arsonist is in some way targeting this area of rapid new development.

SFPD have some surveillance tapes they've been reviewing but have not released any sort of description of the suspect yet.

So be on the lookout for this firebug, and as always, you can call the SFPD's anonymous tip line at 415-575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411 with “SFPD” in the message.

[ABC 7]
[KTVU]
[CBS 5]

Los Angeles has their very own carsonist(s), and it's been a tense holiday weekend for residents of Hollywood and West Hollywood as at least 55 cars were "firebombed" by what investigators believe may be Molotov cocktails "perhaps in a container able to penetrate car-window glass." It remains uncertain whether these incidents have all been the work of a single individual, and early this morning police announced that they had detained a person of interest in the case — a man driving a blue minivan with Canadian plates who may or may not be from Germany. They say it's too early to tell whether the man can even be considered a suspect. A string of eleven fires broke out in the span of two hours this morning beginning around 1:30 a.m.

The random nature of the fires has put many Angelenos on edge, parking their cars on the street, away from their homes, if possible, to avoid getting their homes set on fire — an undisclosed number of apartment buildings have been damaged, and people displaced, when car fires were started in ground floor/underground garages. Low-flying helicopters have been sweeping over neighborhoods conducting surveillance, and everyone's now gotten used to the sound of "racing helicopters and sirens" signalling a new blaze. The first fires began after midnight Thursday, and have continued at a steady clip in the wee hours of each morning since, with New Year's Eve seeing the longest marathon of fires. (If you want to keep up in real time, here's a link to the live stream of the LAFD's scanner/dispatcher.)

Police are offering a $60,000 reward for help capturing the culprit, but some L.A. residents don't feel too confident that the arsonist will be easy to catch. SF last saw a carsonist spree back in 2009, and to our knowledge no one was ever nabbed for that — though they did at one point try to pin it on that crazy elderly homeless lady Fafa Chan.

[LAist]
[LA Times]
[NYT]

Burning down the birthplace of the holy union between Courteney Cox to David Arquette? Dear God, no.

Last night a little before midnight, Paul David Addis was arrested outside of Grace Cathedral, suspected of trying to burn down the historic church down. It seems that his neighbor called the police last night after overhearing him say something to the effect of "the cathedral wasn’t going to be there anymore." Yikes.

Luckily, an officer found him walking on California Street near the cathedral, with a backpack full of "fireworks inside...and other things" leading SFPD officer Jim McGrath to believe that he was up to no good. He was booked and thrown into the county clink this morning, according tho Bay City News.

UPDATE: according to the Chronicle, it seems that the guy who tried setting little ol' Gracie flame last night is none other that Paul David Addis. Yes, the same gent who prematurely torched "the man" at Burning Man earlier this year. Whoa, is right.