Serial Arsonist Suspected In LA House Fire That Killed 2 Senior Sisters: Police

HOLLYWOOD, CA — A house fire last week that killed two sisters, one in her 70s and the other in her 80s, is being investigated as a case of arson that may be connected to a series of fires set to trash cans in the Hollywood area over the last month, according to police.

The fire broke out before 3 a.m. at a single-family home at 1760 N. Vista Del Mar Ave. Firefighters arrived and knocked down enough flames to enter the home and search for people trapped inside, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Two people were pulled from the home: Maria Alarcon Vazquez, 76, who was pronounced dead at the scene, along with Yolanda Honda, 82. Honda was revived in an ambulance but died on Sunday, according to the Los Angeles County Office of Medical Examiner, which ruled her death a homicide.

The day after the house fire, a person was arrested on suspicion of arson in connection to several rubbish fires that were set in the Hollywood area the same night, according to the LAFD.

Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief Scott Harrelson revealed more details about the investigation at Tuesday's Police Commission meeting.

"The cause of the fire was determined to be arson. Further investigation revealed that multiple additional fires were reported in close proximity in the same early-morning time period, as well as a similar fire in the area reported in late January," he said. "These incidents involved fires set to trash containers located adjacent to residential structures."

Detectives are canvassing the neighborhood, interviewing witnesses and reviewing video evidence, according to Harrelson.

In January, a string of dumpster fires in Hollywood and West Hollywood over a single night were being investigated as arson. It's unclear if those incidents are the ones possibly connected to the deadly house fire two weeks later.

Authorities have launched an arson investigation following a series of dumpster fires Monday night in West Hollywood and nearby areas in Los Angeles, according to a report.

The sisters' family members wrote about their loss in a GoFundMe, which they set up to help pay for funeral services and cleanup of their home — which was shared by seven siblings and two generations.

Family members said Vazquez had been recovering from hip surgery after a fall and her older sister had moved in to become her full-time caretaker, according to KTLA.

Vazquez's dog, Coco, went missing after the fire and still has not been found.

City News Service contributed to this report.