Two men were arrested in connection with a string of arson fires hours after firefighters responded to five reports of burning dumpsters in Pasadena on Wednesday morning, officials said.
Two men from Altadena and Los Angeles, respectively, were taken into custody Wednesday and are facing five counts of arson for the crime, according to the Pasadena Fire Department.
The first dumpster fire took place around 2:50 a.m. in the 600 block of South Raymond Avenue, where firefighters found two city trash cans and their debris on fire.
Firefighters responded to four more reports of alleyway fires within a mile radius of the first fire over a period of 19 minutes.
"These fires could have easily spread to adjacent structures," said Pasadena Fire Department Chief Bertral Washington. "Our investigator was able to make arrests before any further injuries and damage could occur."
Surveillance footage showed two males with skateboards setting the dumpsters on fire, and a witness was able to identify the culprits.
The two are expected to appear in court on Friday. Both are being held on $250,000 bail.
