Serial arsonist possibly targeting Homeland, Hemet

HOMELAND – Cal Fire/Riverside, Riverside County Fire personnel and investigators, Riverside County Sheriff deputies and investigators, Hemet Police officials and ATF agents are investigating a series of Homeland and City of Hemet area fires that appear to be suspicious in nature.

Some of the fires include a church that was burned to the ground April 30, as well as a second church across the street from the first, a maintenance building for the Romoland School District, and several others May 10. All involved agencies are working together to determine the cause of the multiple fires and to identify any potential suspect(s) in these incidents.

Riverside County Firefighters and arson investigators first responded to a major structure fire at the Community First Church of God on SR 74 near Juniper Flats Road Sunday, April 30. The church involved in that fire has been declared a total loss.

Investigators believe several more fires were intentionally set beginning in the early morning hours of May 10, in the community of Homeland, an unincorporated area of Riverside County, east of Perris.

On that single morning, at least five to eight suspicious fires were set at multiple different locations in the Homeland area. The first fire was reported at about 1:09 a.m. and fires continued to be set for about eight hours. The last fire was set at about 8:26 a.m.

“The fires included two structure fires, four outbuilding shed fires and one vegetation fire, all of which were either out on arrival or quickly contained by firefighters,” according to Jody Hagemann, public information officer for Cal Fire.

The locations of the different fires were all closely grouped in the Homeland area and included the Seventh Day Adventist Church at the corner of Leon Avenue and Hwy. 74, the Highland Palms Senior Estates – including several residential homes along Leon Road – the Romoland School District’s maintenance building and the Hemet Fence Company, also located on Juniper Flats Road.

Additionally, a suspicious fire was started in a field on the southeast corner of Hwy. 74 and Naumann Avenue, directly accross from the Community First Church of God that was set ablaze down two weeks ago.

Many additional suspicious fires have been reported today, May 11, in the City of Hemet and surrounding areas.

Cal Fire Investigators, with help from ATF and Riverside County Sheriff’s Office are working to determine the cause, according to a press release issued by CalFire/Riverside County Fire.

Anyone with information related to these fires is urged to call the Arson Hotline at 1-800-633-2836. Callers can refer to Cal Fire incident file number CA-RRU-56831 and can remain anonymous.

 

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