'Serial Arsonist' Arrested In String Of 11 Studio City Fires

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA) – Authorities have arrested a suspect in a series of about 11 possible arson-sparked fires which broke out in Studio City early Friday morning and are likely linked.

Los Angeles firefighters swarmed the area sometime before 5:30 a.m. after receiving multiple reports of small fires in the area of Ventura Boulevard and Eureka Drive. One occurred in a Mobile gas station trash can right next to the gasoline pumps, another sparked in a dumpster.

A woman came outside to find her SUV burned out in the 4100 block of Arch Drive. Another fire was set outside an adjacent 7-Eleven.

"Our fire suppression resources were able to extinguish all of them before they expanded into structures, injured anyone, anything like that," LAFD Capt. Patrick Leonard told reporters at a Friday morning news briefing.

A little before 9 a.m., a man was taken into custody nearby. Investigators were able to identify him based on several pieces of surveillance video.

The suspect's identity was not immediately disclosed, but officials told CBSLA he has prior arson arrests.

"We have a suspect who has been arrested on suspicion of arson," Leonard later announced. "We would classify this person as a serial arsonist."

The blazes were all either auto fires or rubbish fires, LAFD reports. It's unclear exactly when and where each of the fires broke out or whether the man in custody is homeless.

No injuries were reported in connection with the fires.