Setting The World Ablaze

The L.A. Times is reporting that the massive Station wildfire that is ripping through Los Angeles County was deliberately set, and county officials warn that the charges for the culprits could include homicide for the deaths of two firefighters earlier this week.

A mammoth forest fire that killed two firefighters and has burned more than 147,000 acres was an act of arson, authorities said Thursday as they launched a homicide investigation into the deaths.

Officials said they determined that the largest brush fire in the history of Los Angeles County was the result of arson after investigators examined forensic evidence from scorched landscape off Angeles Crest Highway, north of La Cañada Flintridge. The spot is believed to be the source of origin of the Station fire.

A source close to the investigation said investigators found incendiary material near the site. The source, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to discuss the matter, would not be more specific or identify the material.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said investigators don't want to release details out of fear it could hurt their ability to find and prosecute an arsonist.

Baca stressed that the homicide probe is still wide open, saying investigators believe the fire was set deliberately by someone intent on triggering a devastating blaze but that there is a possibility it could have been sparked accidentally by a negligent person. Either way, the sheriff said the department could pursue homicide charges.

"If an arsonist did this, everyone should be angry about it," Baca told The Times. "This is one of the most unacceptable crimes."

If this was arson, it's about the most despicable thing I can think of doing. One person potentially could end up destroying hundreds of thousands of acres of California forest, killing untold numbers of animals and people and causing millions in damage. Absolutely, we live in a world where there are people who would revel in the chance to do it.

And yet the fact this wildfire has gotten this large, this quickly only adds to the mounting evidence that California's government services have been criminally mismanaged under Gov. Schwarzenegger. You refuse to raise taxes to pay firefighters and park officials and instead furlough employees? You get massive wildfires that could be prevented, ones that cost taxpayers far more in the long run.