Search on for arsonist who started fires along I-580 at Altamont Pass
LIVERMORE -- CHP investigators are searching for an arsonist suspected of starting seven fires along Westbound I-580 on the Altamont Pass Saturday morning.
A CHP spokesman said around 6:18 a.m., they received 41 calls from drivers, saying a man appeared to be setting fires on the shoulder of the freeway.
Witnesses told dispatcher the man was in a blue shirt, black pants with a newer model white Chevrolet pickup truck.
Cal Fire said the fires burned about 50 acres in total. The CHP said one firefighter was injured and listed in stable condition.
"Plenty of dry grass out there, so it's going to be dangerous," said San Jose resident Sylvia Sainz.
The arsons were unsettling for Sainz. She was staying cool and swimming with her nephew at Shadow Cliffs Regional Park in Pleasanton.
"The weather is hot out there. [My nephew] was crying and was like, 'Auntie, let's go to a lake.' I was like 'Alright, let's go to the Pleasanton lake,'" said Sainz.
They weren't alone. There were still roughly 100 people in the water around 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
"It was hot in the house, so my mom said let's come outside to get wet," said 7-year-old Syriah Sparks, who came with her floatie.
Folks hope people will chill out in the hot weather and do their part to prevent fires instead of causing fires.
The CHP said no one has been arrested in connection with the fires Saturday morning. There are no freeway cameras on the Altamont Pass, so investigators are looking for dashcam videos and witnesses to help identify the arsonist.
