Fire investigators search Oakland for clues to suspicious fires

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Oakland fire investigators are on patrol and looking for clues after a series of suspicious fires in Dimond Canyon happened Tuesday afternoon. They were small fires, but still a big worry to folks in the tinder dry Oakland hills.

Residents there have a reason to be concerned, given what happened in 1991 during the Oakland hills fire.

On Tuesday, firefighters responded to the first brush fire in the canyon east of Park Boulevard. Then they quickly discovered a second one. Soon after, a third fire popped up and two smaller ones at the top of the canyon.

They called the fires suspicious because they know the later fires were not started by blown embers because there wasn't enough wind yesterday.

Oakland Fire Batt. Chief Lisa Baker said, "We're calling them suspicious in nature just because there was five separate fires within the same vicinity and last week we had two fires in the same general area. We just want our citizens to have a heightened alert if they see anything that is suspicious or looks suspicious to them, to definitely call 911 immediately."

The canyon is really steep and there is a lot of poison oak, so on Wednesday fire crews were told to be extra careful walking through there, looking for evidence and removing their equipment.

The conditions were very similar to Tuesday when they responded to the five brush fires. Conditions are very dry so of course firefighters are keeping a watchful eye on the area.