Cal Fire Saturday released photos and a description of a person of interest in connection with the Nov. 11 fire they believe was intentionally set at the Santa Monica (10) Freeway in downtown Los Angeles.
The suspect was described as a 6-foot tall man weighing 170 to 190 pounds with black hair, according to a Cal Fire news statement. He appears to be between 30 and 35 years old, and his race is unknown. He possibly has a burn on his left leg. The man was photographed wearing a black hoodie, blue shorts, gray shoes, green scarf and a knee brace on his right knee. He was also carrying a dark-colored backpack.
The initial fire was reported at 12:22 a.m. last Saturday in the 1700 block of East 14th Street, two blocks west of Alameda Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department's Margaret Stewart.
It damaged a portion of the Santa Monica (10) Freeway between Alameda Street and the East Los Angeles interchange, which has been closed since then and is expected to reopen by Tuesday, according to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
Investigators have said the fire was intentionally set, breaking out within the fence line of a storage yard. While it was burning, firefighters from 26 companies worked feverishly to contain and extinguish the flames, which started in one downtown pallet yard, spread to another and consumed a fire engine that became stuck in its path, Stewart said. The first pallet yard was 40,000 square feet in size and became fully involved with flames that engulfed multiple trailers when firefighters arrived. YThe flames spread to the second pallet yard of similar size between Lawrence and Elwood streets.
Stewart said that by 2:33 a.m., pallets in both yards were mostly consumed by the flames and firefighters were using bulldozers to move debris and put out hot spots. Firefighters successfully prevented the fire from spreading to three nearby commercial buildings.
Cal Fire urged anyone with any information regarding the fire to contact their hotline at 800-468-4408 or arsonbomb@fire.ca.gov