arson news stories on Newser

Groom Gets 6 Years for Starting Fire at Own Wedding

Dustin Lushing — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:15:12 CDT

A British groom will be enjoying a six-year honeymoon by himself, in prison. Real estate developer Max Kay, 37, started a fire at his own wedding party after hotel staff refused to let him extend a bar tab, reports SkyNews . Kay waited until the early morning hours after the squabble...

Fire Sparks Mile-Long Car Wreck That Kills 10

Neal Colgrass — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 16:05:00 CST

A fire near Gainesville, Fla., sent smoke billowing across Interstate 75 that caused a horrific multi-vehicle pileup and left at least ten people dead and 18 others injured today. Officials are investigating whether the blaze was arson or started by accident, the AP reports. In the darkness of early morning,...

One of the World's Oldest Cypress Trees Burns Down

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:53:49 CST

A historic cypress tree, thought to be one of the oldest in the world, is no more after catching fire and being destroyed early today. "The Senator," or "The Big Tree" as Central Floridians called it, was estimated to be 3,500 years old in 1946. "It's a nightmare," says...

Accused LA Arsonist Eyed in Vancouver Fires

Rob Quinn — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:50:53 CST

Cops in Vancouver are wondering whether accused Los Angeles firebug Harry Burkhart hates Canadians as much as he hates Americans . Burkhart and his mother lived in the city before moving to LA, and Canadian police now suspect him of involvement in at least a dozen unsolved property arsons in Vancouver,...

Suspected LA Arsonist Faces Life

Kate Schwartz — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:47:13 CST

Suspected arsonist Harry Burkhart reportedly proclaimed "I hate America," when Los Angeles police apprehended him—and it looks like America, or, at least, its prosecutors, aren't too keen on him, either. Burkhart faces 37 felony counts of arson; if convicted on all counts, that could translate into a sentence of...

Blocked Bathroom Access Sparked NYC Mosque Attack

Rob Quinn — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 04:12:00 CST

Police say an unemployed truck driver suspected of carrying out a string of firebombing attacks in New York has confessed to the attacks, and told them that he targeted a mosque because he wasn't allowed to use its bathroom. Ray Lazier Lengend, 40, has been charged with five counts of...

LA Arson Suspect: I Hate America

Rob Quinn — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:50:00 CST

The 24-year-old German man arrested on suspicion of setting more than 50 houses and building on fire in Los Angeles said "I hate America" after cops pulled him out of his car, LA Weekly reports. Harry Burkhart was apparently furious over his mother's pending deportation, say police, who were tipped...

Cops Hunt NYC Firebomber

Rob Quinn — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:34:19 CST

Police in New York City say the suspect in four firebombings apparently hates Muslims and Hindus but loves Starbucks. A sketch of the man suspected of throwing Molotov cocktails at four targets —including a mosque, a home that doubles as a Hindu temple, and a deli—has been released and...

Suspect Arrested in LA Arsons

Polly Davis Doig — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:11:15 CST

The "person of interest" detained earlier today in Los Angeles' string of arsons has been arrested, reports the Los Angeles Times . "I feel very good that we've got the right guy," says LA Police Chief Charlie Beck. He "had the right stuff in his van, and we are very confident...