BREAKING: Esperanza fire (Riverside CA) that killed 4 firefighters ruled arson

[Shakespeare]

Link coming momentarily--watching live press conference now.

That makes those four deaths murder. My heart goes out to their families. :-(

Spokesman says that the timing (santa ana winds) and location where the fire was set indicates that whoever set it wanted it to inflict the maximum damage possible to surrounding communities.

[Roon]

1. California blaze that killed four firefighters was arson, officials say.

breaking on http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

[Timefortruth]

2. Lock 'em up and

throw away the key.

[brook]

3. I hope

they find them. Put 'em in leg irons and have 'em pick watermelons in El Centro in August.

[necso]

4. Indeed,

choosing a location towards the east end of the pass, and setting the fire in the early morning, when it'd be impossible to respond promptly with aircraft (using VFR) -- and when the Santa Ana winds were starting to blow, bespeaks a certain knowledge.

We had an arsonist a few years back who set fires in a very distinctive pattern, and who knew to take advantage of the winds (not always Santa Ana winds -- but these tend to blow for days in more-or-less the same direction, and so were favored by him), but he seemed to quit starting fires when an air-tanker crew died (this would mean a murder charge) a few years back (the wings of their aircraft broke off, as they tried to lift out of a run). (But this arson doesn't seem to match his pattern.)

And while I'm on the subject, let me express my admiration for the courage and skill of these air-tanker crews. Many is the time that I have walked the edges of a burned-over area and admired aircrew skills in placing retardent exactly on target, in what I expect were dangerous, adverse conditions.

Excellence in his craft, together with resolution in holding to this excellence, are hallmarks of a dedicated "Regular*", one due honor by his peers.

*: "Those are Regulars, by God."

[necso]

7. Oh,

and of course this applies to all emergency personnel who risk their lives in service to the community.

And, of course, this is a terrible, painful loss; and I extend my condolences to those who are affected by it.

[sam sarrha]

5. single digit humidity, hot and 60+mph Santa Anna winds.. headed for citys

[u2spirit]

6. I think Rove set the fire

To distract from Iraq

[pitohui]

8. terrorism?

if someone committed this crime to further a political agenda, it's terror by any definition

[mrdmk]

9. Almost anytime a Santa Ana Wind is fore casted, some nut(s) with a

book of matches starts a fire or two. I do not what prompts these people to such an act, but it happens. Some do get jail time for their actions.

[OnionPatch]

10. This same person has started many fires here

this summer already, at least they think it's all been the same person starting them, and would you believe, they think it was him who started another one *today* 100 FEET FROM MY HOUSE!!!! :mad: Thank God, the neighbor saw it and called the fire dept. It didn't get any bigger than a baseball field. I came home to smoke and fire trucks everywhere and freaked out, but they had it almost out by then. This is the third time an arsonist (they suspect it's the same one) has tried to start a fire right on our road and they think it's the same guy. (Maybe I shouldn't assume it's a guy) Now he's wanted for murder. I feel so awful for those firefighters and their families. Pleeeeeeese let them catch this psycho.

[Nevernose]

11. Was it hippies in VW buses?

"Hippies" got the blame on Faux a couple of years ago, if I remember correctly.