CERT at Griffith Park - surveillance

On Saturday, August 23, 2008 at 2:01 PM, 15 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 5 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 2 Arson Units, 3 Helicopters, 3 EMS Battalion Captains, 4 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams, 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, L.A. Co. Fire, Glendale Fire, CERT Teams, Public Safety General Services and Griffith Park Rangers, under the direction of Assistant Chief Daryl Arbuthnott, responded to a Brush Fire in Griffith Park.

Through a united effort between Councilman Tom Labonge, Doug Kilpatrick of the Griffith Park Rangers and Los Angeles Fire Department Management, a call was put out for a community wide "park watch" to assist in the capture of the person responsible for a series of fires in the park over the past few weeks. Teams of CERT members from the community, Public Safety General Services, Park Rangers, LAFD Arson units and pre-deployed Fire Department resources, performed surveillance through out the park for several days.

LAFD Arson investigators watched a person of interest and also observed the start of a small, slow moving fire in medium to heavy brush, burning uphill. The investigators saw the same person leaving the area of the fire on his bicycle. At 1401 hours, Fire Department resources were dispatched into the park. A concerted air and ground attack was initiated and the fire was quickly knocked down and held to 5 acres by the aggressive actions of 106 LAFD Firefighters and the assistance of companies from Glendale and L.A. County Fire Departments. There were no reports of injury, evacuations or damage to structures in the park.

The suspect was detained and in remains in custody.