Two young men were seen leaving the area where the fire began about 1 a.m. Thursday. Also, investigators said they were looking into whether the wildfire was related to other blazes in recent months, including a canyon fire last weekend.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department assigned 40 detectives to find the arsonist. Authorities have vowed to seek murder charges against the person or people responsible.
On Friday, the two special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms helped make calls and conducted interviews to work on the numerous leads. The day before, the federal agency sent out a certified fire investigator and a mobile laboratory to assist, said ATF spokeswoman Susan Raichel. FBI agents have also been assigned to the case.
No arrests were reported, but detectives were following more than 100 leads called into a tip line. Authorities declined to discuss the strength of the leads. The reward for information leading to the capture of the arsonists grew to $500,000 by Friday night, with $100,000 each pledged by the state of California, both Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and Tim Blixseth, a Coachella Valley logging industry magnate, according to Riverside County Supervisor Marion Ashley.
Local resident James Pence, 63, said that shortly after the fire started he saw two unfamiliar young men leaving the area, which he said is close to a local teenage hangout known as Raccoon Rock.
Tim Bowers, 49, said he was awakened by his dog shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday, looked outside his trailer and saw flames on a hillside about 100 yards away. He said the two young men walked away from the flames.``I looked at them. They looked at me. Then they turned their heads and kept walking,'' Bowers said.
The two were gone by the time he alerted an arriving firefighter, Bowers said.
When the Blue Mt. Fire did not result in a Home being Damaged or Persons being killed or injured the significance of the Two Boys and Fireworks seems to be down played. This was much the same as the response to the Barton Road Daytime Theft/ where the Distraction of let me measure a fence while my friend swipes stuff from inside your house. Later we find out the same crime is happening elsewhere with persons of similar descriptions.
To minimize the importance of dealing with the first fire, or first criminal act is to promote the second act.
If the Blue Mt. Fire starters are not linked to other fires they should take the responsibility for the single fire. However, if anyone knows who they are and do not turn them in, they are contributing to their feeling of hey look at what I get away with, I'll do it some more, kind of thinking.
This blog is very sensitive to suggested violent acts, as the suggestions may inspire an action that the writer, or speaker not intend to be carried out.
I wish $500.000.00 would have been raised for the reward to investigate arsons that don't kill people. The arsonist may have been caught prior to the killing of people families would be spared the loss of loved ones, and others the loss of their homes, and jobs.
Arsonists are Terrorists the use of Fire as an expression of Opinion should be an alert to the nature of the individual and cause concern by all.
Hi Grandpa,
I'm glad that your brought up the subject of the fire in Grand Terrace. We forget how lucky we were with the Blue Mountain Fire. We were lucky that we had the wonderful response from many fire departments -- fire departments from all over southern California. We were fortunate to have use of the water dropping helicopters. We were lucky that they were able give us that kind of response -- I don't know that we could get the same response if the fire were to happen now, with so many resources being used on the fire in Riverside County. We were lucky that no lives were lost. We were lucky that no homes were lost. I think this is lost on the current city council, they don't get it. If we don't ban the use of all fireworks in this city, there could be a next time and we may not be so lucky.
All of the firemen did outstanding job on the Blue Mountain Fire and should be commended.
Gramps adds:
We were also lucky the Winds did not show up. We have never been told the total cost of this fire as requested by Council Members. The risk and cost may not come close to the amount of income the sports team earned by selling fireworks the most likely cause of the Blue Mt fire. Perhaps this is why we don't know the cost or have the public review of the Fireworks prior to the Election.
