Suspected Serial Arsonist Arrested In Contra Costa County

Authorities arrested a 29-year-old man this morning on suspicion of sparking more than 30 fires over the past several months in Contra Costa County, according to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

Deputies arrested Bay Point resident William Wilson on suspicion of willfully and maliciously setting fire to forestland, Fire Marshal Robert Marshall said.

Wilson was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on $1 million bail, fire officials said. Fire district inspectors began noticing a pattern of vegetation fires in the Bay Point area beginning around April, fire officials said. The fires were frequently ignited along Evora Road between Bay Point and Concord and along the state Highway 24 corridor, Marshall said.

By late spring, that pattern had spread to other areas of the county, eventually growing to impact residents in Orinda, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Concord, Martinez, Pittsburg, Clayton and Brentwood, fire officials said.

Although the fires didn’t burn any structures, Marshall said they did damage grazing land and put a huge strain on firefighting resources during the peak of the region’s fire season. Officials haven’t yet tallied the number of acres burned or the associated costs, Marshall said.

With more than 10,000 firefighters fighting fires today across the state, fire officials said it’s critical to conserve scarce fire resources. Investigators from the fire district and Cal Fire established a joint investigation, which led to the arrest today, according to fire officials.

Although Wilson is now in custody, fire officials said the investigation into the blazes will continue.

Anyone with information about the suspect or any of the fires is encouraged to contact the CCCFPD arson tip line at (866) 50-ARSON (502-7766). Authorities are asking everyone to be vigilant outdoors and aware of suspicious people when fires break out.

Residents are encouraged to report any suspicious activity to police and record that person’s physical description and any vehicle description that might be available. Information on how to prepare for wildfires can be found at www.readyforwildfire.org.

• Also see: Unbelievable Scenes From Monstrous Rocky Fire: 62,000 Acres Consumed Monday P.M.

--Bay City News