Arsonist sought in series of fires

Police are looking for an arsonist who set a series of small fires Monday night in rural areas between Windsor, Santa Rosa and Forestville, fire officials reported.

"All of them are under investigation. They're suspicious," Windsor Fire Chief Ron Collier said Tuesday.

Monday's fires were the sixth or seventh series of small arson fires set in the area in the past several months, Collier said.

Six fires were intentionally set between about 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. At least four fire agencies Monday night were called out on the fires: Windsor, Rincon Valley, Forestville and Graton.

On Tuesday night another quarter-acre, vegetation fire that broke out around 8 p.m. off Mark West Station Road west of Trenton-Healdsburg Road was also being investigated as possible arson.

The fires on Monday occurred at Slusser and North Laughlin roads, Wohler and Eastside roads, and on Starr Road near Mark West Station Road, Collier said. Four of the fires were set on either side of Starr Road. The fires burned small areas, mostly grass and brush. One burned into a vineyard.

It remains unclear how they're being set, but it appears the arsonist walked out into several fields to start the fires.

"It's really dangerous," Collier said. "One of these times one of my firefighters is going to get hurt or somebody's going to lose property."

There is no description of a person or car, Collier said.