California is ranked as the US state most prone to wildfire, with over two million households at extreme risk at any time. The state has seen some of the most devastating fires in American history. This risk is highest in the states Central and Southern regions, where the brush that surrounds the Los Angeles countryside contains tough, leathery leaves and volatile natural oils that are highly flammable.

Combine this with a Mediterranean climate, dry landscape, drought-resistant vegetation, as well as the hot and strong Santa Ana winds blowing from the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada desert, and you have the perfect recipe for disaster.

Wildfires can spark from a variety of sources—from lightning to power lines—but these accidental causes are only responsible for a very low percentage of fires. The large majority are generated by people. Some result from unattended campfires, erratic burning of debris, or negligently discarded cigarettes. However, many more turn out to be deliberate acts of arson…

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CREDITS

NARRATION:

Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host

EPISODE:

Episode researched and written by Elsha McGill

Additional editing by Milly Raso

MUSIC:

‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro www.dl-sounds.com

All other music and audio clean up performed by Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn 

OTHER:

Logo design by Paulina Szymanska

RESOURCES

BOOK:

Fire Lover: A True Story – Joseph Wambaugh

VIDEO:

Season 9, Episode 21: Point of Origin – Forensic Files

ARTICLES:

Firefighters who start fires: a look at the phenomenon of ‘firefighter arson’ – Edmonton Journal

Ex-Fire Investigator Gets Life Term in Fatal Arson – LA Times

Manuscript Adds Fuel to the Fire in Murder Case – LA Times

Firefighters searched the rubble of a gutted hardware store… – UPI

Ex-Fire Captain Charged in 4 Deaths in 1984 Store Blaze : Arson: Once acclaimed investigator, now serving a 30-year sentence for setting six fires, could face death penalty if convicted of South Pasadena crime – LA Times

Burning Ambition – People

History in flames – Glendale News-Press

Arson: The Scorched-Earth Obsession – Newsweek

Ex-Fire Investigator Gets Life Term in Fatal Arson – LA Times

‘Nobody heard my side of the story’ – Glendale News-Press

Twisted Firestarter – Real Crime

DOCUMENTS:

Report on the Firefighter Arson Problem: Context, Considerations, and Best Practices 

Special Report: Firefighter Arson

United States of America, Plaintiff-appellant, v. John Leonard Orr, Defendant-appellee, 977 F.2d 593 (9th Cir. 1992)

United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. John Leonard Orr, Defendant-appellant, 29 F.3d 636 (9th Cir. 1994)

OTHER:

California Fire Statistics

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